Blue
by sunny-day
Summary: Rory visits a friend in the hospital only to find someone she never knew...
1. Out of the Blue

Title: Bluest of Blue  
  
Summary: How would Rory react if suddenly Tristan was no longer there?  
  
Rating: PG/PG-13 There is not really any language, I'm not really into that. The rating might not be PG because of later chapters.  
  
Author's Note: I have started several fanfics but this is the first one that I have every actually finished. Tristan and Rory are in their junior year (before Run Away Little Boy, which I think we would all like to forget ever happened) when something happens to Tristan that could change him and Rory forever. I don't want this to be a fluff piece; it is actually quite long. PLEASE e-mail me with any comments.  
  
Disclaimer: No, I don't own any of the characters featured in this story.  
  
  
  
The news had spread throughout the school by third period. Everyone knew that the night before Tristan Dugrey had been hit by a drunk driver coming home from one of his parent's charity functions. The car had hit him broadside. Tristan's gleaming silver Porsche had spun off the road and into a ditch. The fire department worked for three hours to remove Tristan from the wreckage. He was transported to hospital, still alive but badly injured.  
  
  
  
"Tristan Dugrey is one of our finest students and what has happened to him can be considered nothing but tragic. He is currently undergoing surgery to repair numerous internal injuries and tomorrow will be transported to the burn unit of the Hartford Medical Center. It is not yet known when he will be capable of returning to school. Let this be a lesson to you all," the speaker concluded lamely, "Never drink and drive." A half-hearted applause rose from the students in the assembly hall as Headmaster Charleston nodded smugly and returned to his chair.  
  
"What a heartless prick," Paris announced to Rory, who was seated beside her. Rory only nodded her head in response. The assembly had been called in order to dispel the many rumors about the accident, but instead had turned into a campaign against drunk driving. "They will really use any opportunity they can won't they?" Madeline and Louise, seated beside Paris and Rory, spoke their agreement. The three slide out of the row of upholstered chairs, leaving Rory sitting by herself.  
  
Rory remained silent, but was as appalled as Paris at the insensitivity that the Headmaster had shown towards Tristan. Staring straight ahead she made no attempt to move from the seat, her body frozen. She had no control over her thoughts; they roamed over all the possibilities of what could happen to Tristan. Would he be okay? When she had heard the news earlier that morning she refused to believe that it was as serious as everyone said, hoping that the gossip mill of Chilton remained true to form in exaggerating every thing. The assembly that had been called at the end of the day had dashed her hopes of that. Sighing heavily Rory lifted the strap of her bag over her shoulder and headed towards her locker.  
  
She walked through the bare halls; they seemed to be even colder than they had been the day before. Her saddle shoes clicked loudly on the stone floors. Students were huddled in groups, discussing the accident, discussing Tristan. She heard snippets of conversation and was disgusted at the lack of sympathy the students held. As she passed one group of girls it was all she could do not to roll her eyes when she heard one of them wondering aloud if he would still look the same. "Money, power and looks," thought Rory. "That is all these people care about." Needing to get out of the cold, uncaring atmosphere as soon as possible Rory hurried the rest of the way to her locker to get the books she would need for homework that night, then ran to catch her bus.  
  
"No!" Rory drank her coffee silently, a small grin on her face as she watched her mother and Luke argue about Lorelai's coffee addiction. It was familiar. It was normal. After the day that she had had at school she welcomed the warm and cozy feeling of her hometown with open arms. She could almost feel the difference in the air. It wasn't dull and full apathy; it had color and life. The hustle and bustle of the diner drew her away from her thoughts about Tristan. It was a much-needed break.  
  
Lorelai returned to their table grinning happily. She held her second cup of coffee up as if to prove her triumph.  
  
"I see you won him over," said Rory, laughing at her mother's childishness.  
  
"Yeah, well," replied Lorelai. "I have had a lot of practice. It's something I've gotten very good at." Still grinning she shouted over the heads of the other customers, "Isn't that right Lukie?" The exasperated grunt of a reply caused Lorelai and Rory to laugh even harder. Shaking her head, Lorelai whispered to Rory, "He should know better than to mess with a Gilmore!"  
  
"Especially when it comes to coffee!"  
  
"Darn right!" Lorelai held up her mug and the two girls clinked mugs. Their giggles subsiding the two turned their attention to the much-adored beverage in front of them. After gulping the hot nectar down Lorelai asked, "How was school today?"  
  
Rory scrunched her nose. "It was weird. You remember me telling you about that guy Tristan?"  
  
"Evil, devil incarnate, Satan's spawn Tristan? Bible boy who always calls you Mary?" Lorelai thought of all the names that had been attached to the front of his name.  
  
Rory nodded. "Yes that Tristan. Except he really hasn't been that bad lately. That was last year. Sometimes he even calls me Rory."  
  
"That's an improvement."  
  
"Yeah, anyway, he was in a car accident last night. I think that it is pretty bad by what everyone is saying."  
  
Lorelai reached over to put her hand over Rory's. "Oh sweetie… I'm sorry. What happened?"  
  
Thinking back to the assembly held that day Rory replied, "He was hit by a drunk driver. They were saying that his car spun into a ditch on the side of the road, and then caught on fire. They managed to put out the fire quickly, but it took a while to get him out."  
  
"Is he going to be okay?" Lorelai was surprised at the genuine concern that she saw in her daughter's eyes. Not because it was unlike Rory, who was probably the most thoughtful girl she knew, but because she didn't think that Rory and Tristan got along very well. All that she knew about him was that it seemed to be his life's ambition to make Rory's life difficult.  
  
"I hope so. I really don't know." Rory was looking out the window, a small frown on her face. "I hope so."  
  
Lorelai squeezed her hand, causing Rory to look back at her. "I'm sure that he will be sweetie." Rory just nodded her head and the two finished their coffee in silence.  
  
  
  
"Dean… I know. I'm really sorry." Rory twisted the telephone cord around her finger. "I'm just not feeling up to going out tonight."  
  
"Are you sick?" Rory was glad that Dean wasn't there to see her eyes roll. She had known that getting out of dinner tonight was going to be difficult.  
  
"No Dean," she assured. "I'm not sick. I just have a little headache. I didn't sleep very well last night."  
  
"Do you want me to come over there," Dean asked, concern evident in his voice.  
  
"No, it's okay. I just need to get to bed early tonight that's all. I am sure that I will feel better tomorrow." Rory unknowingly held her breath, waiting for his reply.  
  
"Okay, so I will see you tomorrow?" The hopefulness in Dean's voice made Rory smile. At least he wasn't mad at her.  
  
"Yeah, I will see you tomorrow."  
  
"Okay. I hope you get to feeling better. I love you."  
  
"I love you too. Bye."  
  
As Rory hung the phone back in the cradle Lorelai pranced into the kitchen. She looked at Rory, to the phone, and back to Rory. "Who was on the phone?" Not waiting to here Rory's answer she opened the cabinet and pulled out a package of cookies.  
  
Rory shrugged her shoulders. "It was Dean."  
  
"Oh, weren't you two going out tonight?" Lorelai took a bite out of the chocolate chip cookie she held in her hand. After chewing for a few seconds, she ran over to the sink to spit it out. "Yech! When was the expiration date on those things," Lorelai asked, disgusted.  
  
Rory picked up the package and examined it. "What's today's date?"  
  
"The 18th. I think. Maybe it's the 19th. Michel wasn't at the inn today so I didn't really have to pay attention to details." Lorelai tapped her finger on her chin. "Yeah… it's definitely the 18th."  
  
"Aww… that's the problem. This expired on the 16th."  
  
"That's only two days ago…" She was interrupted by Rory shaking her head.  
  
"The 16th… 3 months ago." Rory laughed when her mother recoiled in disgust.  
  
"Yuck. That's so gross." Lorelai went back over to the cabinet, pulling out another package of cookies. This time she checked the date before popping one into her mouth. "So, anyway. Weren't you and Dean going to go out tonight?"  
  
Rory took one of the cookies from her mother. "We were going to. I called asked him if we could cancel."  
  
"Why?" Lorelai nibbled thoughtfully on her cookie.  
  
"No particular reason. I just need to get the sleep early tonight. I didn't sleep much last night. I'm kinda tired." Rory gathered her books from the kitchen table and started to head towards her room.  
  
"Sweetie… are you okay?" Rory looked back at Lorelai.  
  
"Yeah… I'm just tired. I told you that."  
  
"I know… it's just," Lorelai threw her hands up, "I don't know. You're acting kind of strange."  
  
"I'm fine Mom. Really." Rory offered a shaky smile, then turned into her room closing the door.  
  
"Okay," she heard from outside the door. "I'm just going to order some pizza. I'll let you know when it gets here."  
  
Rory didn't respond. She just leaned against her door, sinking slowly to the ground. Loosening her tie she brought her other hand up to her neck, trying to relieve the kinks that had formed since the beginning of the day. Bringing her knees up to her chest she rested her forehead on them.  
  
It had been a long day. She wasn't sure why she was so tired, but all that she could think about was Tristan. She was worried about him; she was terrified for him. She didn't know why, they weren't even very good friends. Sure, they talked, they laughed, and they bantered. He insulted her, made lewd comments that embarrassed her. He was unfailingly obnoxious. She could count on that from him. She could count on him. They had a routine, and she was comfortable with it. But he wasn't there. And there wasn't anything that she could do about it.  
  
Sighing, she leaned back and banged her head lightly on the doorframe. Standing up she pulled her US Government book out of her bag and set it on her desk. Sighing again she turned on the overhead light and sat down to work.  
  
  
  
School had returned to normal the next day. It was as if nothing had ever happened. Rory was amazed at the difference from the previous day. Students were laughing and joking together. Earlier that morning when she was walking to her locker Rory caught herself expecting to see Tristan standing there, leaning confidently against it, one ankle crossed over the other. Now, at the end of the day Rory found herself anticipating Tristan's smug grin as she walked past some of his friends. But the bearer of grin that she had come to expect wasn't there. Instead she walked past unnoticed.  
  
Rory decided not to take the bus home that afternoon. Instead she called her mom and told her that she was going to go to see Tristan at the hospital. Lorelai had sounded surprised, but Rory assured her that she just wanted to see how he was doing. Lorelai told her to give Tristan her regards, and then told Rory to be home no later than 6:00. Smiling at her mother's understanding Rory hung up the phone after promising to bring home dinner. She hauled the heavy book bag over her shoulder and then ran to the front of the school to hail a cab. "Hartford Medical please."  
  
  
  
Tristan had been moved to the burn unit about an hour before. The short trip, combined with the heavy painkillers, had exhausted him and he could think of nothing but the overwhelming urge to close his eyes and try and sleep. When he heard the soft tapping on his door he ignored it, hoping whoever it was would go away. His eyes remained closed when he heard the door open and someone shuffle it.  
  
Rory drank in the sight before her. There were wires and tubes running all over the room; Tristan was in the center of it lying on the small hospital bed. A huge white gauze was wrapped around his head, and a large purple bruise covered the left side of his face. His hands were bandaged, as was his right arm. There were cuts and bruises along his exposed left arm. His left leg was enclosed in a cast and pulled up in traction. "Oh Tristan…" she breathed.  
  
Tristan mustered all the strength he had to open his eyes when he heard the voice. He saw her there, still in her Chilton uniform with her yellow backpack slug over her shoulder. Her eyes were wide with fear. Smiling weakly he managed, "Hey Mary."  
  
Rory almost choked on her tears when the piercing blue of his eyes met hers. She cringed at his scratchy voice, but was relieved that he seemed happy to see her. Grabbing a plastic chair from the wall beside the door, Rory rushed over to his side. She sank into the chair, and, unable to hold his hand, placed her hand on top of his arm. "Hi." Her voice was almost a whisper. "I'm sorry. I know that you are probably really tired and that you're probably worn out by all the visitors that have come through that door already today, but I had to come and see you. I'm so sorry…" her voice tapered off for a moment. "I had no idea it was so bad."  
  
"I'm glad that you came by." Tristan was whispering and his raspy voice was hard to catch. He kept the small smile on his face, but closed his eyes. The medication that he was on was very strong; it took so much strength for him to stay awake. "Thank you."  
  
"Don't thank me. I haven't done anything. Is there anything that I can get you?" Rory was desperate for something to do. She wanted to be able to do something to help him. "Are you in much pain?"  
  
Tristan shook his head, but it felt like he had a five-ton brick inside instead of a brain, so he stopped. "No, I'm fine."  
  
"Are you sure? Because I could go get the nurse or get you coffee or something like that…" Rory trailed off when she say saw him shaking his head.  
  
"No… That's really okay." Tristan managed a small smile.  
  
Rory returned the smile, the spoke cautiously, "Everyone at school really misses you. I think that there might be plans to have some kind of mourning session."  
  
"And will you be joining them?"  
  
"Depends," said Rory, trying to lighten the mood. "I might be able to handle it a while, but if they start to light candles and set up a shrine I am out of there!"  
  
"I'm not dead yet, Mary," Tristan joked weakly. "Give me a few days though..."  
  
"Don't say things like that Tristan. You're going to be fine." Rory hoped that her voice sounded more cheerful and optimistic than she felt.  
  
Tristan unsuccessfully tried to shrug his shoulders. They sat in silence for a moment, each trying to figure out what the other might be thinking. "Why did you here come Rory?" Tristan's question broke the silence.  
  
Rory shifted her gaze from his eyes. It was the same question she had been asking herself all day. Why did she want to visit him? Why was it so important to her that she had not been able to think of anything else? She starred at the gray wall behind his head, and then over to the window. Finally she spoke, "I needed to know how you were doing."  
  
"You needed to know?"  
  
Pursing her lips, Rory nodded her head. "I needed to know because I was driving myself crazy thinking about what could have happened and how serious is might have been." Rory noticed the beginnings of a smirk on Tristan's face.  
  
"You were worried about me Mary?" Rory rolled her eyes when he called her Mary, but his mild teasing was welcomed.  
  
"I'm here for my own personal sanity really," Rory defended.  
  
"Ah, I understand," Tristan said weakly, his eyelids drooping. "It has nothing to do with the fact that you actually care about me."  
  
"Well… I didn't mean for you to find out this way," Rory continued the light banter. Tristan chuckled softly but his laugh turned into a racking cough. The arm that Rory's hand had been resting on was brought up to cover his mouth. His whole body tensed, and Rory looked on concerned. After a few moments he relaxed.  
  
"Sorry," Tristan looked slightly embarrassed.  
  
"No," Rory said, shaking her head. "Don't be." She replaced her hand over his arm and then looked up to make eye contact. "I do care about you Tristan. I came because I needed to find out for myself if you were as hurt as everyone said. I wanted to allow myself to believe that a person as resilient as you could not been as injured as everyone was saying. I think that I was hoping that it was all a rumor. Does that sound silly?"  
  
Tristan shook his head, and Rory continued. "I needed to come because I did not want to allow myself to think that you were hurt. I had to see it for myself."  
  
"And now that you have?" Tristan was somewhat shocked at Rory's revelation. He did not doubt her sincerity but he could not help but wonder why she was acting so caring towards him. He had honestly never thought that she would be someone to worry about him.  
  
Rory smiled, "I think that you were hurt very badly," her eyes quickly scanned the bandages on his body, "but I think that you…" she trailed off and peered into his eyes. They were questioning but at the same time urging her to continue. "But I think that you are going to be just fine." She grinned shyly at him, and he smiled back.  
  
"Well then," Tristan said, "I am glad that you have been able to come to that conclusion. It always helps to have and optimist by your side."  
  
  
  
Rory just shrugged her shoulders and smiled. She glanced at the clock on the wall and which read 5:45. "Oh my gosh!" Rory checked her watch to make sure. Tristan looked at her spastic actions, confused.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing it's just," Rory began frantically gathering up her stuff, "It's just that I told my mother I would be home by 6:00. I only have 15 minutes to get home!" Rory slung her backpack over her shoulder and without thinking leaned up and gave Tristan a kiss on his cheek. Pulling back she squeezed his shoulder comfortingly, "I'll try to come by some other time. I am glad that you are okay."  
  
Rory squeezed his shoulder again before hurrying out of the room. Tristan smiled as the door slung closed behind her. "Rory Gilmore," he sighed, rolling over to his side, "I will never understand." 


	2. Spinning out of Control

Authors Note: This story doesn't deal very much with Tristan and Rory, sorry about that. However, in order for this story to continue this chapter was a must.  
  
Rory threw open the front door at 6:07. "Mom!" she called, "Mom! I am so sorry that I am late!" Rory ran into the living room and did not see her mother so she turned to the kitchen. At the same time Lorelai came out, munching on what appeared to be a burrito. "Mom… I am really sorry that I am late. I completely lost track of time."  
  
Lorelai just nodded in understanding. "It's fine sweetie, really." Rory sighed in relief. "But you have a visitor in the kitchen who might not feel the same." Lorelai sat down on the sofa and flipped the TV before nodding her head towards the kitchen again. "I would go in there as quickly as possible if I were you."  
  
Rory scrunched her forehead in confusion, and walked into the kitchen. "Dean!" She exclaimed when she saw him sitting at the kitchen table. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I thought that we said yesterday that since you canceled dinner yesterday we would have dinner today. I have been here since 5:30. Where have you been?" Rory did not understand where Dean's anger was coming from; she didn't remember them setting a time for the date. Choosing to ignore that part she replied calmly.  
  
"I'm really sorry Dean. I needed to visit a friend from my school who was hurt in a car accident. I was at the hospital, and then I had to take a taxi home to get here in time."  
  
"Friend?" snorted Dean. "You don't have any friends at that school."  
  
Rory recoiled in hurt at his words. "What? Dean I said that I was sorry. I didn't know that we had set a time. I am sorry that I have kept you here waiting."  
  
Dean shook his head in aggravation, "It's not about that Rory. You put your friend in front of our relationship."  
  
"In front of our relationship… Dean… what?" Rory sputtered, "Dean I am really sorry. I said that. If you want to go out tonight then let's go." Rory was confused. She didn't know why Dean was being so hostile towards her.  
  
"We are not done here Rory! Who is this friend?" Dean stood up from his seat at the table and grabbed Rory's arm. Rory jerked it back and then stepped away from him.  
  
"Dean, I don't know what I have done to make you so upset. I am sorry that I am late, I told you that several times. What is wrong with you today?"  
  
"What is wrong with me? My girlfriend cancels a date one night because she has a headache and is tired, and then she shows up late the next day. What am I suppose to think?" Dean threw his hands up in the air to emphasize his point.  
  
"That I lost track of time. Dean, I told you I am really sorry, but I am starting to get a little tired of this. How many times do I need to apologize? I didn't know that we had set a time, I just lost track of time that is all! I would not put a friend in front of our relationship." Rory's voice took on pleading tone. "You know that!"  
  
Dean took a step towards Rory and grabbed a hold of her shoulders, raising his voice, "It's not good enough Rory!"  
  
Rory struggled to free herself from his grasp. "Do not yell at me Dean! And don't ever grab me like that again. I don't know what I can say to make you believe me that I am so sorry! It will never happen again. Can we please just go now?"  
  
"I will decide when we can go. Right now I think that we need to talk about this. Who is the friend that you went to go see?" Dean crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at her accusingly.  
  
Rory just shook her head in defeat. "Dean, come on. Please let it be. We don't need to beat this thing to death."  
  
"Beating this thing to death," Dean yelled, "Is that what you think that I am doing… beating this thing to death. What are you trying to hide Rory?"  
  
"Trying to hide? I am not trying to hide anything from you Dean. I just don't think that we need to discuss this anymore, that is all. I am sorry, I made a mistake. I will try my best never to let it happen again. But let's please leave it at that."  
  
"You get to decide when we stop talking about something. I don't think so Rory. You obviously don't want to tell me something. Were you out with another guy? That's what it is, isn't it?" Dean took hold of Rory's chin, forcing her downcast eyes to look at him. "Isn't it?"  
  
Rory sat down at the table and asked calmly, "Dean, why are you being like this?"  
  
"Being like what? Trying to find out if my girlfriend is cheating on me? I noticed that you didn't try to deny it!"  
  
"I am not cheating on you Dean. I think that we both know that. I do however think that I don't want to go out with you tonight if you are going to be acting like this. I think that you need to leave and cool off."  
  
"I don't think that that is going to happen Rory. Would you like to know what I think?" When Rory did not answer he continued, "I think that you need to get up, go put on something other than that uniform and come out with me tonight. I have been waiting for almost an hour. Why are you still sitting there?"  
  
When Rory stood up she stepped close to face him. "Dean, I have had a really bad day and I was hoping to come home to some comfort and support. I have had nothing but you yelling at me and accusing me of cheating on you. Now, I do not know what has gotten into you, but I am not interested in standing here talking to you anymore, and I am certainly not interested in going anywhere with you tonight so that you can yell at me in public." Rory had tears in her eyes, but she refused to allow them to fall. "I think that you need to leave now."  
  
"I am not leaving unless you come with me."  
  
"Yes, Dean, you are," said Lorelai coming in from the living room. "You need to leave right now. I am not allowing Rory to join you tonight. And you probably won't be able to see her tomorrow either. I don't like the way that you are treating her. Why don't you go home and cool off and then you can try to call her tomorrow."  
  
Dean looked between the two Gilmores, first at Lorelai then to Rory, and threw his hands up in frustration before storming out of the kitchen. Rory jumped when she heard the front door slam behind him.  
  
Turning towards her mother, Rory stood silently. Lorelai quickly crossed the kitchen and enveloped her daughter in a hug. "I don't know what got into him," said Rory, finally allowing the tears to fall. "What did I do to deserve that?"  
  
"Nothing," said Lorelai, stroking Rory's hair comfortingly. Rory tightened her grasp around her mother, "You didn't do anything at all sweetie."  
  
The two stood embraced for a long time, Rory crying into her mother's shoulder, Lorelai standing in quiet support, rubbing her daughter's back, trying to offer comfort. Once Lorelai thought that Rory had calmed down she pulled back. Gently wiping the last traces of tears from Rory's face she asked, "Better now?"  
  
Rory smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah," she answered quietly. Looking around the kitchen her eyes came into focus on her backpack. "I should try to get some work done."  
  
Lorelai shook her head, "Why don't you forget about that for now. Go put something comfortable on and then come back out here for dinner. I have burritos!" Lorelai grinned excitedly, holding up the bag that had been resting on the table.  
  
Rory had to laugh at her mother's childishness then nodded her head in consent. "Okay, I'll be right back." Picking up her bag, Rory retreated into her room, closing the door behind her. Dropping her bag on her desk, she went over to her dresser and pulled open the top draw. Pulling out a pair of sweats, Rory changed quickly then rejoined her mother in the kitchen.  
  
The two sat in the living room eating their burritos discussing the day's events. Lorelai wanted to know how the trip to see Tristan was, and Rory answered honestly. It was nice to be able to tell someone how she was feeling, and Lorelai seemed to understand. "It's just really weird," said Rory.  
  
"What's weird?" asked Lorelai.  
  
Rory thought for a moment before replying. "I think that I have this preconceived notion that someone as completely obnoxious as Tristan would never allow something bad to happen to themselves."  
  
"Tristan's only human sweetie," Lorelai said, dipping to catch her burrito from dripping juices onto the couch.  
  
"Oh, I know, that's not it. That not what I meant. It's just… it's hard to explain." Rory shrugged her shoulders. "But, yeah. It was good for me to go and see him. I will probably try and go back some other time."  
  
After a moment of sitting in silence Lorelai grinned slyly, "Want to hear about my day?" Recognizing the gleam in her mother's eye Rory drew her feet beneath her, now sitting cross-legged on the sofa, and prepared herself for entertainment.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Well," said Lorelai, launching into her tale. "It all started with a bus load of Japanese tourists showing up unexpectedly this morning…"  
  
As her mother regaled her with the story of her day, Rory leaned against the cushions and allowed herself to forget about the encounter with Dean.  
  
*****  
  
"What we see in many of Shakespeare's plays is misidentification. Many of the characters in "Twelfth Night" have, in some way or another, disguised themselves to the other characters in the play. For your homework over the weekend I would like a one thousand word essay on how people in today's society disguise themselves for the same reason at the "Twelfth Night" characters. It's Thursday now, so I would like to have this in on Monday. Please use personal experiences… I can guarantee that your grade will appreciate it!" Mr. Medina finished telling his students the assignment and as they furiously wrote it down he returned to his desk.  
  
Rory looked at the clock and breathed a sigh of relief. The bell would be ringing in less than one minute. With a quiet smile on her face she began to pack away her things. The day had actually gone very well. There had been no run-ins with Paris, she had gotten a 98 on a history test that she was sure she had failed and her lab partner in biology, a girl named Melody, turned out to be very nice. The day was one minute from being over, and then she could go home and read. After, she thought with contempt, talking with Dean.  
  
The shrill of the bell sounded and Rory stood up to walk to her locker. Passing by Mr. Medina's desk she offered him a small smile, which he returned. Things had been very awkward for her in the class because of her mother's breakup with the teacher, but everything seemed to be getting back to normal. Mr. Medina was not longer avoiding eye contact with her, which Rory viewed as a positive sign.  
  
Gathering her books from her locker, Rory headed to the bus, thinking about the conversation that was going to have with Dean. She had lost the anger from last night, but what still confused about why he had gotten the way he had. Trying not to dwell on it, and hoping that he was just having a bad day, Rory boarded the bus. Sitting in a seat where she would be warmed by the suns rays Rory pulled out her headphones and current book for the trip back to Stars Hollow.  
  
*****  
  
Dean greeted Rory at the bus stop in town. Bracing herself for a confrontation, and trying to be as agreeable as possible, Rory stepped off the bus with a smile on her face. "Hi!" She greeted cheerfully. Reaching up to give Dean a quick kiss she was shut down when he backed away from her.  
  
"We need to talk Rory," Dean said, no emotion on his face.  
  
Rory nodded her head, still trying to be cheerful. "I know," she agreed. "Why don't we go get some coffee from Luke's and then take a walk in the park. It's such a pretty day outside."  
  
"No," said Dean, shaking his head. "I am serious. We need to talk about last night."  
  
"Dean," said Rory calmly, "I know that we need to talk about last night, but I cannot get into this with you without some caffeine in my system. Coffee, and then talk." Dean nodded his consent, then followed silently behind Rory as she headed for Luke's.  
  
After placing her order with Luke, without the usual begging, she noted with surprise, Rory walked back to the table that Dean was sitting at.  
  
"Two coffees coming up." When Dean didn't respond Rory tried again, "So, how was your day?"  
  
"Fine," Dean replied tightly. Rory took the hint and sat down to wait patiently for their coffees. Not wanting to sit in silence Rory said, "My day was really good. I got…"  
  
"You know Rory, I really don't want to hear about your damn day. I want us to get our coffees and get out of here so I can stop feeling Luke's eyes burning into the back of my neck." Looking up to check Rory saw that Luke was, in fact, starring at them while drying a glass.  
  
"Okay, why don't you go wait outside while I get our coffees. I'll be right out." Dean did not wait for her to say another word before heading out the door. When the bell on the door jangled Rory hung her head. She stood up and headed to the counter. "Can you make those coffees to go Luke?"  
  
Luke narrowed his eyes at the boy standing outside before turning and nodding gruffly towards Rory. "Sure." He picked up the coffeepot and poured the liquid into the plain white to-go cups. Rory smiled, remembering her mother's crusade to try to get Luke to advertise more by printing the name of the diner of the cups. "Too expensive," had been the ornery reply.  
  
Dropping a few bills on the counter, Rory took the Styrofoam cups from Luke. "Thank you." With the reply of a grunt Rory turned to the door. Pausing briefly, she tried to muster all of her strength to once again face Dean.  
  
Dean stood tapping his foot impatiently on the other side of the road. Checking for traffic, Rory crossed the street and handed the coffee to Dean. "So," she started, "we need to talk."  
  
"What were you thinking last night!" Rory jumped at his outburst.  
  
"What are you talking about Dean? And don't yell at me. I thought that we were going to talk." Rory turned to walk towards the park. Dean followed closely behind her.  
  
"Don't walk away from me." Dean grabbed Rory's arm, forcing her to turn around, making her hot coffee slosh onto her hand.  
  
"Ouch, Dean!" Rory exclaimed while wiping her hand clean on the blue blazer. "Let go of my arm. What do you think you are doing, grabbing me like that!"  
  
"What do you think you are doing, standing me up like that? I waited for over an hour!" Dean grip on her arm increased, and Rory flinched in pain.  
  
Wrenching her arm free from his grasp she replied, "Dean I have already apologized many times for being late. I didn't know that we had set a time. I am really sorry. Do you think that we can please move on? This is getting very tiring."  
  
"Tiring," Dean exploded, "I'll tell you what's tiring! Waiting for your girlfriend to come home from supposedly visiting a friend in the hospital when in actual fact she is probably out with some other guy! That is what is tiring!"  
  
Rory felt tears in her eyes threatening to fall but she refused to allow them to. "Dean," she tried, " Stop making such a spectacle of yourself," Rory said, glancing around, "People are watching. I was visiting a friend. I would never cheat on you. You know that! Have I ever done something to seem untrustworthy?"  
  
"There is a first time for everything Rory."  
  
Rory could not believe the words that she was hearing come from his mouth. "I guess I can't do anything but promise that I was doing what I said I was. You will have to accept that."  
  
"And if I can't?"  
  
"Then that is your problem Dean. There is obviously nothing that I can do to change your mind."  
  
"You could tell me what friend you were visiting," Dean suggested, sarcastically.  
  
"Would that make everything better? Would you stop acting like such a jerk?" Rory raised her voice, not caring that she had seen Ms. Patty whip out her cell phone after passing.  
  
"Who was it Rory?" Dean raised his voice to equal hers. "What is it that you are not telling me?"  
  
"Dean, if you really want to know, Tristan was in a car accident 3 days ago. I went to go see how he was doing." Dean eyes widened at the mention of Tristan.  
  
"Oh this is just rich!" He exploded, "Not only are you cheating on me you are cheating on me with HIM! What is it Rory… does the money turn you on?"  
  
"You have no right to talk to me like that Dean. I went to see Tristan because I was worried about him. There was no ulterior motive! I swear! God! Why don't you trust me?"  
  
"Because you stand me up to go see him! Rory… what am I suppose to think?" Dean was yelling at Rory; she could feel his anger rising every moment.  
  
"That you trust me because I would never cheat on you. I love you!"  
  
"What if I can't accept that Rory?"  
  
Rory sighed, defeated. "Then Dean," she said after a moment of hesitation, "I think that we should break up."  
  
Dean swiveled his head to look at her, to make sure he had heard her correctly. "Break up?"  
  
Rory nodded her head confidently. "I think that if you can't trust me then we should break up."  
  
Dean narrowed his eyes. Rory knew that he was angry, but she never expected him to do what he did. Raising his hand, Dean backhanded Rory across the face. Rory fell to the ground.  
  
Within 10 seconds Luke had emerged from the diner and was swinging at Dean. "What the hell do you think that you are doing?" Luke yelled at him. It wasn't until customers from the diner had emerged and pulled Luke off of him did Dean have the chance to react.  
  
"Why don't you ask her!" Dean pointed to Rory, who was still on the ground. Only then did Luke's attention turn to her. Wiping the blood from beneath her nose, Rory rose to face Dean.  
  
"We are over Dean. I don't want someone who cannot trust me to be in my life, and I certainly do not want someone who thinks that they can get away with hitting me. Please go away now, and leave me alone."  
  
Dean clenched and unclenched his fist, but when Luke started for him again, he quickly turned and jogged away. Spinning around he called out, "This is not over Rory."  
  
"Yes it is," she said weakly, the only person to hear her was Luke. Reaching for her hand Luke pulled her into a hug. Rory was surprised at the act of affection, but relaxed into the hold. She cried for awhile, before pulling away and inspecting the wet spot on Luke's shirt. "Sorry about that," she said, unsuccessfully trying to smile.  
  
Luke grinned and ruffled the hair on her head, "That's alright kid. Why don't we go back inside. We can get you some more coffee," he said pointing to the cup that had fallen to the ground, "clean up your face and call your mother."  
  
Rory nodded. "Thank you, Luke. I don't know what got into him." Luke put his arm around her shoulder and began to lead her back to the diner.  
  
"It doesn't matter," said Luke, "There is nothing that you can do to deserve being hit." Luke stopped for a moment and turned to face her, "You know that don't you? Whatever it was that you supposedly did, which I sincerely doubt was anything wrong, does not give him permission to hit you."  
  
Rory smiled at the father like figure in front of her, "I know. Thank you Luke."  
  
Luke grunted in reply. Together they crossed the street and entered the diner. Luke pulled a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer and made Rory place it over her eye and nose while he fixed her some coffee and called Lorelai. Rory sat with the pea bag on her face, wondering how such a nice day could have spun so far out of control. 


	3. Silver Lining

Author's Note: I know that the last chapter was devoid of and Tristan/ Rory interaction. I promise that that will be different in this chapter!  
  
***  
  
Rory starred at her reflection in the mirror. "Blah…" she said to the empty room. Reaching up she gingerly touched the bruise that had formed on her cheek. It was dark blue and had begun to turn green around the edges.  
  
The previous day and school and then at her grandparents house had been fun trying to explain how she had gotten it. The story that she had tripped over one of her mother's shoes and hit the doorknob seemed to work pretty well. No one at Chilton even knew who Dean was, so no one was even a bit suspicious.  
  
Her grandmother, on the other hand, was much harder to please. One look at the bruise and she was threatening to call social services. "It's that Luke man isn't it? Has he been hitting you and your mother? He seems like the type." After balking at the accusation Lorelai quickly corrected her mother with the story of the shoe.  
  
"Really, Mother," defended Lorelai, "How could you even think something like that? Luke is one of the most gentle people that I know. He comes right after that bear from the Snuggles commercial."  
  
Emily eyed her daughter quizzically before relenting. "Fine, I just didn't know what those inbreeds in that town of yours are capable of. You have to be careful you know." Needless to say, after a few harsh words were exchanged, Lorelai and Rory had left early that evening. Lorelai stated that she would rather eat her dinner without an air of judgement surrounding her.  
  
Trying to forget the previous night's events, Rory touched the place on her face again before stepping into the shower. It was Saturday morning, and she was getting ready to go see Tristan, as she had promised. The warm water was welcomed, and Rory ended up staying in the shower much longer than planned.  
  
When Rory emerged she was greeted with a fresh pot of coffee and a note from her mother.  
  
Rory,  
  
Sorry I had to take off. I was planning on saying good bye but you were in the shower. There are English Muffins (the raisin cinnamon kind that you like) in the refrigerator and some orange juice on the counter. I walked over to Sookie's and we are going to drive to work in her car, so you can have the Jeep today. Tell Tristan that I said hello and that I hope he is doing better. Oh… after I get home from work tonight let's plan on going to the movie theatre. They are showing An Affair to Remember!  
  
Love you lots,  
  
Mom  
  
Rory smiled at her mother's note before pouring herself a mug of coffee and going to her room to get ready. She threw on pair of jeans and a blue sweater that her mother had bought her recently. Crossing the room to the mirror, she brushed her hair down around her shoulders and applied concealer over her bruise. Dabbing on some lip-gloss and mascara, Rory took a book from the over stuffed shelf and exited the room. Deciding to eat on the way she poured another cup of coffee into a travel mug and grabbed an English Muffin from the refrigerator.  
  
Before exiting the front door Rory checked her reflection in the hall mirror. The bruise was still very visible. Rory sighed and dropped her stuff in the foyer to go back to her room and pick up her powder compact. Hopefully she could hide it effectively so Tristan wouldn't ask about it. Picking up the stuff she had left in the hallway, Rory threw the compact in the bag with her book and opened the front door to leave. The weather outside made her smile; the sunlight hitting her body was welcomed.  
  
Not bothering to lock the door behind her Rory jumped off of the porch and jogged to the Jeep. Throwing her stuff to the passenger seat, Rory hopped inside and turned on the engine. Pulling off the grass she turned the CD player on and sang along with the Bush CD inside. Her good mood lasted until she was stopped at the traffic light.  
  
Still tapping her fingers on the steering wheel to the beat Rory glanced over to Dosey's Market and froze. He was there, outside the entrance, starring at her. The awkwardness of the situation was outweighed with the creepy feeling that Rory got from his stare. As soon as the light turned green Rory sped away. Turning down the volume of the CD player Rory allowed herself to regress into her own thought world.  
  
Rory had not let herself think about what had happened two days before. There had always been something to take her mind off of the break up; school, newspaper, her mother… It was time that she thought about it. Rory could honestly not understand what had gotten into Dean. There had never been that much anger inside of him before. Unlike the previous break up, Rory was actually relieved to finally be out of it. Dean had become too possessive, Rory always felt like she was walking on ice with him. It was the right thing to do decided Rory. But it still hurt to know that the relationship that they had built ended in a screaming match in the middle of town. Literally, thought Rory, bitterly. If she had thought that the previous break up was bad this one over whelmed her. Everyone knew exactly what had happened. It was very strange to know that people were witness to one of the most humiliating moments of her life. She couldn't keep the bruise hidden from the prying eyes of the towns people, but was relieves that she didn't have to tell the story over and over. Ms. Patty and Taylor had taken care of that for her. Rory continued her musings until she reached the hospital.  
  
Parking the Jeep in what appeared to be the furthest parking space from the hospital, Rory jumped out and hurried towards the entrance. When she arrived at his room, Rory peeked in to find Tristan sleeping. Smiling shyly Rory took the plastic chair she had sat before and pulled it over to his bed. Sitting down, Rory placed her hand on top of his exposed arm.  
  
"Hey," the groggy voice surprised Rory, making her jump in the chair.  
  
"Hi", said Rory, quietly. "I thought that you were asleep."  
  
Opening his eyes slowly, trying to adjust to the light, Tristan shook his head. "No," he said, his voice still raspy. "I was just resting my eyes."  
  
"Uh huh." Rory tried to humor him.  
  
"I was," Tristan weakly insisted. The only response from Rory was a nod of her head. "You came back," Tristan said, stating the obvious.  
  
"Well of course I did. I said that I would, didn't I?" Rory asked grinning.  
  
"Can't stay away from me can you Mary?" Tristan teased.  
  
Smirking, Rory replied, "Yeah, that's it. I thought I would wait until you were bound helpless to a hospital bed so that I could have my way with you without you being able to protest."  
  
"What makes you think that I would protest?" Rory blushed at the innuendo, causing Tristan to grin.  
  
"Well, at least I can still make you blush."  
  
"I was not blushing!" Rory brought her hand up to cover her cheeks. She could feel the heat radiating off of them, which just caused her to blush even more.  
  
"Sure Mary."  
  
"You know," said Rory, "I have put up with the Mary thing from you because I felt sorry for you. But I think it is time you had a refresher course. My name it Rory… R O R Y. Think that you can handle that?"  
  
Tristan smirked. "I don't know. My charts do say that I have suffered from a blunt head injury."  
  
"Oh really… did it say anything about unusual swelling? Because I think that that might be a problem too." Tristan chuckled at the jab.  
  
"I sure have missed you Mary." Rory growled at the name. "No really I have." A noise in the hallway caused Tristan to pause. "Oh great… what time is it?"  
  
Rory glanced at her watch, "It's 10:30. Exactly. Why?"  
  
Tristan moaned, "Because that means it time for…"  
  
"Good morning Tristan. Are you ready for your medication?" A plump nursed sing- songed into the room.  
  
"Nurse Gertrude." Tristan said through clenched teeth.  
  
"Hi," said the cheerful nurse. "I am Gertrude." There was a strong southern accent attached to her words. "Would you like to stay for this or are you going to leave?"  
  
Rory looked at Tristan, who seemed to be pleading with her. About what she had no idea. "I guess that I will stay." Rory watched as Tristan visibly relaxed. "Is that okay with you?"  
  
"Yeah… that's great." When the nurse turned to prepare an injection Tristan mouthed, "Wacko!" Tristan pretended to shiver in fear.  
  
"Alright dear, you ready?" Rory noticed that Tristan looked nauseous at the nurse tapped the syringe. Swallowing hard, Tristan nodded his head. When the nurse placed the needle into his arm Tristan gulped and looked away. Rory made eye contact with him and had to stifle a giggle at the fear that she saw in his eyes. Seeing her giggle Tristan smirked up at her. "That ones done. My, I think we should have this young lady in here everyday. It makes it much easier to get this done. Not as much thrashing about is there darling?"  
  
Tristan blushed in embarrassment, but nodded his agreement. "There's just one more darling and then we will take some blood and replace the IV. You ready?" Tristan braced himself for the next shot, then nodded that he was ready. The nurse quickly gave him the shot. He squeezed his eyes close, causing Rory to become more amused. Tristan Dugrey, afraid of needles. Who would have thought?  
  
"See now that wasn't so bad was it?" Tristan tried to save face, and rolled his eyes.  
  
"No mame. That was not so bad." Nurse Gertrude smiled, then went about her task of refilling his IV bag.  
  
Tristan refused to meet Rory's eyes, knowing that she probably found the whole situation very amusing. When the nurse readied the needle for taking his blood, Tristan blanched. He didn't care what anyone said, taking blood from a person through a cold metal catheter was not something that one should become accustomed to. Rory saw Tristan become white and squeezed his arm in support. "It will be okay," she whispered. The nurse stuck Tristan with the needle, then waited as his blood filled the small attached tube. When that was done she withdrew the needle and replaced all of the supplies.  
  
"Well I must say Tristan, that was a much nicer day than yesterday." Nurse Gertrude extended her hand towards Rory, which Rory accepted and shook. "Thank you dear. My, what a big bruise that is on your cheek. What happened?" For the first time Tristan noticed the faint bruise on Rory's left cheek. When he looked closer he could tell that she had tried to cover it up using powder.  
  
"Nothing," said Rory with a wave of her hand. "I just tripped over a pair of shoes and landed on a roller skate. It's not a big deal," Rory laughed nervously.  
  
"Well," said the nurse. "You take care of yourself. I have more patients to tend to!" The nurse pushed her cart out the door as cheerfully as she had entered.  
  
Rory watched her retreating form, the turned back to Tristan. Grinning cheekily she asked, "Scared of needles are we Mr. Dugrey?"  
  
"Ha ha ha." Tristan smirked. "Whatever. You get poked with a needle three times every 4 hours and you tell me how it feels. It's not nice to be a human pin cushion!"  
  
"Most people," retorted Rory, "don't look like they are going to be sick when they see a needle."  
  
"Then most people," replied Tristan, curtly, "are certifiably nuts!" Rory giggled. "What is so funny?"  
  
"Nothing, it's just that I never expected you to be afraid of needles. Doesn't seem like a very manly thing to be afraid of."  
  
"I am not afraid of needles, I just don't like them. There is a huge difference," Tristan said defensively.  
  
"Aww…" replied Rory, as if she had just been let in on one of the great secrets of the universe. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before Tristan interrupted.  
  
"So," he asked, "what happened to your cheek?"  
  
Rory reached up to touch the place on her face. "Weren't you listening to me when I told the nurse? I tripped over a roller skate. It's not a big deal."  
  
"I was listening when you told the nurse. In fact, I think I was listening better than you were."  
  
"Oh, you think?"  
  
"Yes I think. In fact I think that you told the nurse that you tripped on a show and landed on a roller skate, not the other way around." Tristan pointed out this little fact with great satisfaction. He knew that she was lying about the roller skate, only an idiot would believe that story.  
  
"I must have just gotten confused. I tripped over a roller skate and landed on my mother's stiletto heels. It's not that big of a deal Tristan." Rory fidgeted nervously in her chair.  
  
Tristan could sense Rory's discomfort over the situation and decided to let it rest. "So, how's school going?"  
  
Rory reached up to replace a fallen strand of hair, tucking is safely behind her ear. "Well," she said, flashing him her most dazzling smile, "since you have left not only have I become the most popular girl in school but I was nominated for homecoming queen."  
  
"Really," asked Tristan, playing along.  
  
"Yes, and I have been practicing my speech if I get voted for. Would you like to hear it?"  
  
Tristan nodded his head, "Sure."  
  
"Oh, now, see I was hoping that by this time you would be irritated and tell me to stop and tell me to tell you the truth. I don't really have my speech ready," Rory whispered the last part.  
  
"You mean that you weren't telling me the truth before?" Tristan feigned shock.  
  
"No, I wasn't." Rory said apologetically. "I really haven't risen in my social standings and will not be having the opportunity to present myself all dolled up as the pride of the school."  
  
"I wouldn't mind seeing you all dolled up."  
  
Rory rolled her eyes, "In your dreams Dugrey."  
  
Tristan considered for a moment, then shook his head in disagreement. "No, most of my dreams involve…"  
  
"Stop," Rory held up her hands as if it would stop the words that we getting ready to come from his mouth. "We were having a perfectly civil and pleasant conversation and you have to turn it into something sexual."  
  
"You," Tristan said defensively, "mentioned my dreams. I just thought I should set the record straight as to the actual content of my dreams."  
  
"Yeah, you wouldn't want to let me live in my own little dream world where Tristan Dugrey is a pure and innocent guy."  
  
"Well I don't want you to have a misconception about me, Gilmore. At least about the aspect of my life that pertains to you."  
  
Again Rory rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, but she smiled down at the boy lying in the bed. Returning to the question that he had asked before she answered, "School has been fine. Nothing has really changed, but I am sure that the parade of girls that comes through that door could give you a better update."  
  
"Oh yes, I am a regular Don Juan here in the hospital." Rory detected a faint hint of bitterness in his voice.  
  
"Please," she said, "don't tell me that you have not have a regular stream of visitors of the female persuasion walk through that door."  
  
"Oh no, they do come through the door. But that is about as far as they get before blanching and turning to run away. Apparently manicures and monitors don't mix." Tristan gave a short, self-deprecating laugh. "Normally I pretend to be asleep anyway. It's much easier than having to entertain them when I don't want them there and they don't want to be there and both parties know it."  
  
Rory was somewhat confused, "Would you like me to leave?" She gestured towards the door.  
  
"What? No! Why would you think that?"  
  
"You don't seem to be very happy with people visiting you. I don't understand why you would want me here but not them." Rory started to gather her things.  
  
"Rory sit down." She did what he asked, still looking somewhat confused. "I'm glad that you are here," Tristan assured her.  
  
"Okay," Rory sat back down in the chair, smiling slightly. Rory stayed with Tristan until late that afternoon. The two talked about various things; Rory told Tristan what had been going on in Stars Hallow, and Tristan seemed genuinely interested in the hijinks of the townspeople. Tristan told Rory about Nurse Gertrude and other hospital hazards. "There are NO hot nurses," he complained. "I guess that you will just have to keep coming back," he stated slyly, causing Rory to blush.  
  
Finally convincing Tristan that she did indeed need to leave, and promising that she would come back, Rory left the hospital around 3. After finishing some homework that she needed to get done Rory and her mother went to the movies like planned. The day had been very pleasant, Rory thought with surprise. 


	4. The sun will come out...

"So I was visiting Tristan yesterday," Paris stated. Rory looked up from the book that she was reading to see Paris standing in front of her, one hand on her hip and the other supporting a pile of schoolbooks.  
  
"Oh! That's nice," Rory said, sincerely. "I am sure that he appreciates it." She placed the book that she had been reading on the bench beside her and tugged off her earphones.  
  
"Yes, I am sure that he does. He mentioned that you had been by to see him several times," Paris spat, icily.  
  
Rory scrunched her brow. "Actually only twice. I'm sorry, have I done something to offend you?"  
  
"So is that your plan now? You going to try to win him over while he is weak in the hospital. That's classic," Paris accused.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I really don't know what you are talking about."  
  
"This is just the opportunity that you have been waiting for isn't it? Make him think that you are all sweet by coming to visit him everyday. What? Do you think that by being nice to him it will make him fall in love with you or something? Make him come to the conclusion that you are not the pathetic being that you have been pegged as?"  
  
Rory help up her hands in surrender, "Paris, I thought we had been through this before. I don't like Tristan. You can have him. Really."  
  
"Then why have you gone to see him so often?"  
  
"First of all, I have only gone to see him twice. Secondly," Rory held up two fingers, "I went to see him because I was concerned about him. I went back the second time because he asked me to."  
  
"I think that you are trying to get him to like you by playing nurse."  
  
"You do realize that you are making no sense, right. I mean, nothing that has come out of your mouth in the last two minutes has even resembled any sort of rational thought."  
  
"Deny it if you want Gilmore, but I know that you want him. Too bad that you can never have him."  
  
"I don't want him Paris!" Rory began to gather her things together, putting her stuff into her book bag. She stood up to leave, "If you will excuse me, I don't feel like continuing this conversation." Rory left the bench and began walking towards the school, planning on spending the rest of her lunch period in the library.  
  
"I'm onto you Rory." Paris said, following closely behind her.  
  
"Has anyone mentioned lately that you are seriously deranged? Go away Paris, stop following me." Rory hurried the rest of the way to the entrance, leaving Paris standing alone, gawking at her.  
  
"What is going on with people?" Thought Rory. First Dean exploded, then Paris. Granted, Paris getting sensitive and defiant over an issue was not an uncommon occurrence but still… Was there some sort of chemical leak that was making everyone hypersensitive? Maybe it was something in the water.  
  
Finding the library to be virtually empty Rory settled down into one of the overstuffed chairs at the back. As soon as she had pulled her book out of her bag the bell signaling that lunch was over rang. "Argh…" groaned Rory in frustration. After shoving her book back into her bag Rory stood with an exaggerated sigh. "Chemistry," she thought, "perfect."  
  
****  
  
"Hi!" Rory was cheerfully greeted as she walked into Tristan's hospital room. Tristan was sitting up in his bed, his leg out of traction. What Rory noticed the most was the grin that was on his face, something that she hadn't seen in a while. He looked good, she thought. His cheeks had color in them that they didn't before. Even the pale yellow of his hospital gown didn't wash him out.  
  
Placing her bag on the ground beside the door Rory turned to Tristan, smiling. "Hello to you too."  
  
"Guess what?" Tristan said to Rory while she was pulling her chair closer to his bed.  
  
"What?" she asked, playing along. The stupid grin had not left Tristan's face.  
  
"Two things actually. One- tomorrow my bandages come off." Tristan held up his bandaged hands. "Two- to celebrate I have convinced the nurses to let me out of here for a while."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes, they said that if you came today we could take a walk around the hospital grounds. Granted, you would actually be pushing me in a wheelchair, but it still means that I get to get out of here!" Tristan hopped up and down in his bed the best that he could. Rory had to laugh along with him.  
  
"Okay, do you want me to go get the nurses? It's a pretty day outside. It will be nice to walk around for a while." Rory stood to leave the room.  
  
"Nah, it's okay," Rory sat back down. "I can get them in here pretty quickly." Pursing his lips Tristan let out a shrill whistle.  
  
Rory stared in mock disbelief. "Can you really be that obnoxious?"  
  
"Hey," Tristan said, shrugging his shoulders, "A man's got to find a way to get what he needs. You know, just the essentials."  
  
Rory was rolling her eyes at Tristan's cockiness when a nurse entered. Not Nurse Gertrude, Rory observed.  
  
"You whistled?" The nurse asked sarcastically, making Rory smile.  
  
"Yes," Tristan answered, ignoring the sarcasm in her voice. "I am ready to go outside now. Could you get me the wheel chair, please?"  
  
"Sure, just a moment." The nurse disappeared into the hallway for a moment before returning, pushing a wheel chair. "Now, this might take a while, so you have to be patient. Do you think that you can handle that?"  
  
Rory smirked. Obviously this nurse had Tristan pegged. "Yes," countered Tristan. "Patience is my middle name." Winking at Rory he added, "Along with devilishly handsome."  
  
"Devil is right…" Rory muttered, before joining the nurse to help Tristan out of the bed. With very little help from Tristan, the Rory and the nurse finally got him situated comfortably in the wheel chair. Afraid that he might be cold, Rory grabbed two blankets from the bed; one to cover his legs and the other to wrap around him. Tristan smiled at the gesture.  
  
"Now," said Tristan, referring to the transfer from the bed to the wheelchair. "That wasn't so bad was it?" Both the nurse and Rory groaned under their breaths. "I didn't think so. Ready to go Mary?" After a few quick instructions from the nurse and a warning to be careful Rory and Tristan set off towards the elevator.  
  
******  
  
After walking around the grounds for almost an hour, Rory convinced Tristan that they should find a bench so that she could sit down.  
  
"Fine," he said, then continued with his story. He had been talking almost the entire afternoon, which suited Rory just fine. Finally they found a bench which Rory, after securing the brakes on the wheelchair, collapsed upon.  
  
"So then John looked at Brian and was like, "I didn't put that there you idiot!" To which Brian replied," Tristan noticed that his audience wasn't paying him any attention. "Rory… hey Rory," he said, poking her with his bandaged hand.  
  
"Huh? What?" Rory was shaken from her thoughts.  
  
"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk, Mary. You stopped paying attention to me at the good part of the story." Tristan grinned obnoxiously.  
  
"Oh," said Rory, rubbing her eyes, trying to seem interested. "What happened?"  
  
Tristan looked at her concerned. "What up Rory?"  
  
"Nothing, sorry I just spaced out for a minute, that's all." Rory tried to assure him by offering a small smile. "Please… continue with your story."  
  
Tristan refused to be fooled by her act. "No… there is something wrong. You have been unusually quiet today? Normally I can't shut you up. What gives?"  
  
"Maybe the fact that you have been unusually chatty today," Rory replied. "I just wanted to give you the chance to talk, that's all."  
  
"I don't believe you."  
  
"Why am I not surprised?"  
  
"There is something wrong. Come on Rory… tell me what it is. Uncle Tristan can help."  
  
Rory raised an eyebrow. "Uncle Tristan?" She questioned.  
  
Tristan sighed. "Come on Rory, I am trying to be supportive. Cut me a little slack, I haven't done this very often."  
  
"Obviously," Rory jabbed, but smiling.  
  
"So…" he pried, gently. "What's going on?"  
  
Rory shrugged her shoulders. "I just had a long day that's all. And a run in with Paris. I am just really tired. Sorry… I don't mean to be rude."  
  
"You're not being rude. I understand." The took sat in silence for a moment before Tristan asked, "What happened with Paris?"  
  
"Oh, it was nothing. I don't know why I let it bother me." Rory tried to brush the issue of with a wave of her hand.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Why are you so pushy today?"  
  
"Why are you so closed off today?"  
  
"Tristan, I told you. It was nothing." Seeing him raise and eyebrow and knowing that he wasn't going to give up before she spilled everything, Rory relented. "Fine. Actually, it was about you."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yes, you. She accused me not being able to stay away from you and of coming to visit you to "get in on your good side" or something like that."  
  
"Aw," Tristan covered his heart with his bandaged hand. "You to had an argument about little ole me?"  
  
"Forget it," Rory said, standing up. "I knew I shouldn't talk to you about this. You can't be serious."  
  
"Wait, Rory. Sit down. I will be serious I promise." Rory stared at him questioningly before relenting.  
  
"Do you think that?" She asked.  
  
"Do I think that you are trying to visit me to get in on my good side?" Rory nodded her head. Tristan shook his head. "No. I think that you are visiting me because you are a very nice person who is worried about me."  
  
"That's what I told Paris but she wouldn't believe me. The girl is really hung up over you Tristan, it's quite sad." Tristan nodded his agreement.  
  
"Rory, don't listen to anything that Paris says. That girl has her hair pulled back a little to tight from her head. She can get delusional sometimes, believe me. I have been dealing with it since kindergarten." Rory chuckled softly. The two sat in silence for a moment. "We should probably be getting back up to my room. Nurse Patty will probably send out the patrol to look for me."  
  
Rory stood up and began to fidget with Tristan's wheelchair, trying to get it ready for travel. "Is that the nurse that I met today?"  
  
"Yeah. She's not very nice to me. I haven't been able to win her over with my charms yet."  
  
"I knew that I liked her." Rory began to push Tristan along the brick path.  
  
"Cute. Hey Rory?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Although I agree with you that Paris is a little crazy, I think that she was right about one thing."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"You can't stay away from me, can you?" The cheeky grin that had greeted Rory returned to Tristan's face.  
  
Rory rolled her eyes. "Hey Tristan?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"See those trees over there?" Rory pointed to a small grove of trees one the side of the path. When Tristan nodded in response, Rory asked, "You want me to accidentally send you zooming into them?"  
  
"I'll shut up now."  
  
"What a good idea." Rory and Tristan shared a laugh and walked the rest of the way to Tristan's room in a comfortable silence.  
  
"My bandages come off tomorrow," Tristan told Rory as she was getting ready to leave.  
  
"I know, you told me when I came in this afternoon." Rory walked over to stand by his bed. The nurse had already come to help him back into bed, and he was seated with the blanket pulled over his lap.  
  
"Will you come tomorrow?"  
  
He looked so hopeful that Rory hated to disappoint him. "I can't, I have newspaper tomorrow. If Paris found out I skipped newspaper to come and see you I would really be in for it!"  
  
Though Tristan chuckled, Rory could see the disappointment in his eyes. "But I can come by the next day."  
  
"Oh, that's good. Only if you can, you know." Tristan leaned back against his pillows.  
  
"Well, I need to get going. My mother will skin me alive if I am not home in time to watch "Ally McBeal" with her." Instinctively Rory leaned down to give Tristan a kiss on his cheek. Pausing at his ear she whispered, "I promise I will come." Quickly kissing him on his cheek, Rory turned to leave the room.  
  
Tristan sighed as she left the room, and looked down to his hands. "Tomorrow…" he thought. 


	5. Tomorrow

1 …Tomorrow  
  
Author's Note: Sorry that it has taken me so long to update… I have been on vacation. I hope that you enjoy this chapter- please read and review! I have a story line planned out but I would love to know where you want this story to go.  
  
***  
  
1:46 Tristan was getting a crick in his neck from staring at the red numbers on the clock beside his bed. Sighing, he shifted to find a more comfortable position on the hospital bed. It was difficult with a busted leg in traction, he thought bitterly. The room was too loud. Every time he would drift to sleep the harsh patter of the nurses' feet or the insistent metallic clang of medical equipment in transport would awake him. What was worse was when people stopped to speak quietly outside his door. He would strain to make out the conversation but he couldn't quite hear. For the love of God, he thought, shut up! There were people trying to sleep. Trying being the operative word.  
  
The small beam of light coming from under his door was driving him mad. It was there taunting him, reminding him that he couldn't get up and turn it off and he couldn't roll over to try to block it out. Resigning to himself to the fact that the only way he would be able to get rid of the light would be to close his eyes and fall asleep, he tried to do just that. Waiting with his eyes shut for what seemed like hours he groaned when he opened them just to see the clock switch from 1:51 to 1:52. Oh for heaven's sake. Tristan reached up with a bandaged hand and smacked the clock across the room. With a satisfied smirk he heard, rather than saw, it smash up against one of the gray walls, falling to the ground in pieces. Sleep, he thought, must get sleep.  
  
***  
  
Rory stumbled into Luke's later that afternoon. "Coffee," she begged, joining her mother at the counter. "Must have coffee." Rory's eyes lit up when, instead of arguing with her, Luke poured the coffee and placed the steaming mug in front of her. "Coffee…" she exhaled before lifting the mug to her lips and guzzling the liquid.  
  
Lorelai looked on with amusement. "Rough day?" She asked while Rory was still mid guzzle.  
  
Rory held up one finger to ask for a moment, then brought the mug done with a thump. "Hit me again," she requested.  
  
"That bad?" Lorelai sipped her coffee patiently and waited for a reply. Only after Rory had had a sip of her second cup did she receive one.  
  
"Just very long." Another sip. "And very very boring." The coffee was gone and Rory stared into the mug. "Mind numbingly boring." With a grin she slid the mug over to Luke, and frowned when he shoved it back.  
  
"No. You've had two. It's bad for you." Luke continued to wipe the counter down, pretending not to pay attention to the scowling Gilmore.  
  
"It is not," Rory defended, adding under her breath, "mean head." Luke just rolled his eyes.  
  
"It's nice to see that a day at Chilton has reduced my normally chipper and very well worded daughter to name calling." Lorelai cocked her head and looked at her daughter with sympathy. "Want to talk about it?"  
  
Rory straightened up on her stool and looked at her mother. Scrunching her nose she replied, "There wasn't anything wrong with it. It was just long and very boring. I am glad to be home," she added with a smile.  
  
"Well," said Lorelai, rummaging through her purse to find her wallet. "I am glad that you are home." After dropping a few bills on the counter she patted her daughters knee affectionately. "Ready to go?"  
  
Rory nodded her consent and hopped off of the stool. Lorelai picked up her backpack and handed it to her. Luke smiled as the two left the diner. "What have you got in that thing Rory? A small child…" The door jangled shut behind them.  
  
"Oh shoot!" Exclaimed Lorelai as they passed Doose's Market.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was suppose to talk to Taylor about the Thanksgiving Day Festival. He wants the Independence Inn to cater it." She started to turn to walk back to the entrance. "Do you mind coming in? You can pick some frozen pizza for dinner while I am talking to him."  
  
Rory bit her lip. "What day is it today?"  
  
Lorelai immediately recognized the reason behind her daughter's hesitation. "It's Thursday. He doesn't work today does he?"  
  
"No, I don't think so. It doesn't matter." Rory walked determinably towards the front door. "Come on." Lorelai hurried to catch up.  
  
"Are you sure Rory? Because I can go by myself… I'll meet you at home." Lorelai stood in front of her daughter.  
  
"No, mother, I'm fine. Really." With a brief smile of assurance, Rory pushed past her mother into the store. She headed straight for the frozen food aisle. Lorelai sighed, then entered, intent on finding Taylor.  
  
Rory was debating between supreme pizza and meat lovers when she felt him behind her. Determined not to let him affect her, her gazed remained glued to the food in front of her.  
  
"Rory…" the slightly husky voice behind her pleaded. "Rory we need to talk."  
  
Rory did not turn around. "I thought I asked you to leave me alone."  
  
"Rory please." Dean reached out and grabbed her arm to turn her around.  
  
Whirling around to face him, Rory wrenched her arm from his grasp. "Don't ever touch me again."  
  
Dean held up his hands in surrender. "Please… please Rory. We need to talk."  
  
"No we don't Dean. I think that you made your feelings perfectly clear." She moved to walk past him but he stepped in her way. "What do you think that you are doing?"  
  
"Rory come on. Please let's talk about this." Rory noticed the defeated look in his eyes and relented.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Dean heaved a sigh of relief before rushing out. "I am so sorry Rory. You have to let me explain." When he was met with Rory's cold stare he continued. "I am so sorry that I hit you. I am so sorry that I didn't trust you. But you have to let me explain."  
  
"Go ahead." Rory leaned against the shelves, crossing her arms in front of her.  
  
"Okay," Dean ran a nervous hand through his hair. "Okay… last week was a bad week for me."  
  
"So obviously that gives you the right to humiliate me in public."  
  
"I cannot apologize enough for that, but if you just let me explain, I think that you might understand." Rory nodded her head for him to continue.  
  
"My father told me that he had lost his job. I thought that we were going to have to move back to Chicago." Dean leaned a hand against the top shelf.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" The confession startled Rory.  
  
"I didn't know how. It was making me crazy Rory, because I could never figure out what to say to you. I was tired and on edge."  
  
"That's no ex…"  
  
Dean interrupted her. "I am not trying to make excuses. I am trying to get you to understand. I thought I was having to leave soon, and I wanted to spend as much time as possible with you. But you kept canceling. And I know it was irrational and idiotic, but it made me so mad. I know it is no excuse but everything was weighing down on my shoulders. My sister and mother were always crying at home, my father was moping around, I thought that I was leaving you, and… and I just snapped. I wasn't thinking."  
  
"Dean, I am really sorry about your father losing his job, but I don't understand why you didn't just tell me that Dean. I am sure that we could have worked something out."  
  
"In hindsight, yeah Rory, I am sure that I would have handled things differently. But I was acting in the moment. I wasn't thinking."  
  
Rory sighed and looked at the floor. She traced the pattern of the tile with her shoe. "What do you want from me Dean?"  
  
"I want you to forgive me. Please forgive me," he pleaded.  
  
"You hit me Dean," Rory hissed. "It left a bruise. My nose was bleeding."  
  
"I know," Dean said, nodding his head. "I am so sorry. I can't apologize enough. I don't know what came over me."  
  
Rory bit her lip, deep in thought. "I don't know if I can ever look at you the same, and I know that I will never forget. But I think that I can forgive you."  
  
Dean smiled, and took her hand. "Thank you Rory. You don't know how much it means to me."  
  
Rory offered a shy smile. "So," she asked quietly, "when are you leaving?"  
  
Dean beamed. "That's the best part. There was a misunderstanding at the company that my Dad works for. He wasn't getting fired at all. Isn't that great? I am staying!"  
  
"Yeah," Rory said, weakly. "That's great Dean."  
  
"So," Dean swung their clasped hands between them. "Will you give me another chance Rory?"  
  
"What?" She pulled her hand away from his.  
  
"I thought that you said you forgave me." Dean looked confused.  
  
"I said I forgave you, but I didn't say that we were going to get back together!"  
  
"Why not? I'm sorry Rory!"  
  
Rory was shocked with his audacity. "Dean… just because I forgave you doesn't mean that everything is back to the way it was. It still doesn't change the fact that you hit me. I could never get back together with you."  
  
"But… Rory…" Dean sputtered.  
  
"No, Dean. We can't get back together. We can work at being friends, but I can't be with you Dean. You are just going to have to accept that."  
  
Dean sighed, "I understand."  
  
"You do?"  
  
Dean nodded his head. "Yeah I do."  
  
"Good." Rory saw her mother over Dean's shoulder. "I need to go Dean." She walked past him, but the returned to quickly say, "I meant it when I said that we could work at being friends."  
  
With the small encouragement, Dean smiled, "I would like that very much."  
  
Rory just smiled, then walked to her mother. Lorelai offered and encouraging smile and put her arm over Rory's shoulder, leading her out of the store.  
  
"So…" said Lorelai once they had exited the building, "How does take out sound?"  
  
***  
  
Rory entered the building and stomped straight to the trashcan, pitching her small yellow umbrella inside. "Useless…" she mumbled under her breath before making her way through the crowds of people to the elevators. When she caught her reflection in a hall mirror she groaned. Quickly she wiped the mascara from beneath her eyes, then tried to use her fingers as a comb through her hair. Having left her bag in the Jeep she didn't have a brush to run through it, and it was quite obvious that her fingers weren't getting the job done.  
  
Giving up, Rory stared at her reflection. Her nose was pink from the cold, her hair was wet and stringy and her eyes had dark circles underneath them. "Argh…" she groaned in frustration. Deciding that there was nothing left that she could do, Rory turned and headed towards Tristan's room.  
  
When she entered she found him tucked beneath the blankets, asleep. The lights in the room were turned off; the only light available was from the window. A small smile played upon her lips as she watched him. The head bandage had been removed revealing his tuft of hair. At the moment it was all smooshed to one side of his head. Rory lowered her gaze to his eyes. His eyelashes were fluttering up and down. Must be having a dream, she concluded. Travelling further down she came to rest at his lips. Even in his sleep, she thought, would that smirk be there. Rory continued her journey. She watched as his Adams Apple bobbed when he swallowed. She was just able to make out the slight rise and fall of his chest under the pile of blankets. He must be cold too, she mused.  
  
A noise from behind her drew Rory out of her reverie. She quickly look to the source of the noise. The door to Tristan's room had slammed closed from a draft. Looking back over to Tristan she saw his stirring in his sleep. When he opened his eyes she shifted her gaze, afraid he would catch her stare.  
  
Tristan squinted his eyes to focus on the figure before him. "Rory?" The sleep made his voice raspy.  
  
Rory smiled, then pulled "her" chair over to his bed. "Hey sleeping beauty."  
  
Only once Tristan's eyes had focused to the light did he notice her wet hair, and the way that she was furiously rubbing her hands up and down her arms. She looked adorable with her pink little nose and wind burned cheeks. "Cold?" She nodded in response.  
  
"You can have that blanket at the end of my bed." He nodded towards the end of the bed where a solitary blanket lay folded.  
  
Rory grabbed it and wrapped it around herself, then looked at him expectantly. "Well…" She prodded.  
  
"Well…what?" Tristan looked at her as if her had no idea what she was talking about.  
  
"Come on Tristan. Your bandages. You got them off yesterday. Let me see!" She began to reach for the tops of the blankets, which were pulled up to his neck.  
  
"Rory… it's not that big a deal."  
  
"Yes it is. It's the first step. I thought you were excited about it." Rory continued to pull the blankets down, exposing his flannel pajamas. "Sissy Montgomery said that she came by yesterday to see…" Rory stopped when his hands were revealed.  
  
She sat back down in her chair, then took one of his hands into her two. Tristan remained silent during her quiet examination. Rory traced a finger between the tips of his fingers, concentrating reverently on them. "You have beautiful hands Tristan," she said quietly.  
  
Tristan snorted and pulled his hand from her grasp. "Don't lie Rory. It's not very becoming." He knew the truth. His hands had been burned badly in the fire and now they were not much than fleshly scars resembling the shape of a palm and five fingers. His entire left arm was the same way. It disgusted him.  
  
Rory saw Tristan's eyes fog over. She reached to grab his hand again, but he jerked away from her. Refusing to make eye contact he stared straight ahead.  
  
"I'm sorry you feel that way Tristan. I think that…"  
  
Again she was interrupted by a snort. "Yes, Sissy came by yesterday. Do you know what the first thing out of her mouth was?" He asked angrily. Rory shook her head as he continued his tirade. "She said, and I quote, 'I know a great plastic surgeon. He did my nose.' That was the first thing she said to me!"  
  
Rory's heart ached for the boy in front of her. "Tristan, we both know that there is no filter between Sissy's brain and her mouth. She tends to say things without thinking. I blame it on the cloud of hairspray that surrounds her." Her attempts at humor were met with a hostile stare. Clearing her throat she continued. "But Tristan, forget what Sissy said. That's just Sissy."  
  
"No… it's not! It's how everyone who walked through that door yesterday looked at me. It is how everyone in that God forsaken school will react. It's not just Sissy, Rory," his voice rising with every word. "It's them…" he seethed.  
  
Rory grimaced at his anger. The vein in his neck was bulging, and she could practically see the steam coming from his ears. Only once before had she seen him like this.  
  
"Okay," Rory stood from her chair and moved to sit beside him on the bed, facing him. She took his hand back into hers and held tightly when he tried to jerk away. "You want to know what I see?"  
  
Realizing he was going to hear it whether he wanted to or not, Tristan consented with a nod. Rory had to duck her head to make eye contact when he looked away. "Tristan look at me." He did. "Why do you think that I keep coming back to visit you?"  
  
Tristan shrugged his shoulders. "I honestly have no idea."  
  
"I come back because when I see you here in the hospital I see you without your usual air of self righteousness. I see someone different from the Tristan that I know from school. I come back because this Tristan is someone that I want to get to know." Rory smiled up at him, but he quickly looked away.  
  
"You don't know me Rory."  
  
"I know that," she agreed. "But I do think that I know you better than most other people. Other people look at you and see Tristan, King of Chilton. And, I have to tell you, that is not the person I have seen. Sure, you do a mighty fine job of putting on an act, but I don't think that is really who you are."  
  
Tristan narrowed his eyes at her, but did not remove his hand. "What is your point Rory?"  
  
"I was just coming to that. My point is, that I think that you are afraid of letting people see who you really are. That is why you are so upset about your hands. You don't want the perfect image that you have worked so hard to establish be ruined by something that it out of your control."  
  
"You don't know what you are talking about Rory."  
  
"Oh I don't?" She replied indignantly. "Then why are you so afraid of what people think?"  
  
"I am not afraid of what people will think of me Rory. It's just hard for me. I don't want people's pity."  
  
"Tristan, pity is a natural response. People do feel sorry for you. You might have to learn to accept that."  
  
Not knowing how to respond he mumbled lamely, "Whatever." Tristan shifted his attention from Rory over to the window. The rain was still pouring outside.  
  
The two sat in silence for a moment until Rory broke it. "Hey…" she whispered, nudging his shoulder. Tristan turned to look at her. "I don't blame you for being upset. Anyone would be. I'm not trying to downplay your feelings."  
  
Something in her eyes made him relent. "I know," he said quietly.  
  
"I meant what I said earlier."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
Rory lifted his hand and gently pressed her lips against his fingers. "You do have beautiful hands."  
  
Tristan let out a quiet self-deprecating chuckle. "I think that the cold has affected your brain Gilmore."  
  
Rory shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe." The two shared a quiet laugh until the pounding of the rain outside lulled them into silence. Rory blushed slightly from Tristan's stare, but hoped the darkness of the room would hide it. A clap of thunder outside broke the moment. Rory jumped off of his bed, startled.  
  
Tristan looked at Rory, amused. "Rory," he taunted, "Are you scared of thunder?"  
  
"No, I am not scared of thunder." Rory rolled her eyes at the accusation, but then it thundered outside again, this time a little louder. She looked around nervously.  
  
"Alright maybe a little bit." She smirked at the amused glint in his eyes. "Don't even start it, Mr. I'm afraid that the little bitty needle will hurt me."  
  
Tristan held up his hands in surrender. "I didn't say anything!"  
  
"Yeah, but you looked!" Rory accused.  
  
"Well… yes I probably did. I think that most people will look at some point in their lives."  
  
Rory just threw her hands up in frustration. "I give up." Another clap of thunder made her jump.  
  
Tristan patted the spot on his bed that she had been sitting on. "Sit down Rory. I'll protect you," he added chivalrously.  
  
Rory rolled her eyes, but grabbed the blanket that she had been wrapped up in and returned to her position on the bed, sitting Indian style beside him. "Why do you have so many blankets on your bed?" She began to count the layers of blankets.  
  
"I was cold," Tristan replied.  
  
"You have 4 blankets, and a sheet. You were that cold?" Rory eyes him suspiciously.  
  
Tristan nodded. "Yes I was that cold. That, and I had this premonition that a girl would be stealing one from me later in the day, so I asked them to double up."  
  
"Well," said Rory, covering her knees with one before pulling the rest up to his waist. "Aren't you the clever one?"  
  
Tristan just shrugged, letting the topic drop. Rory had taken hold of his hand again, intertwining her fingers in with his. She didn't appear to be aware of it. "What time do you have to leave today?"  
  
"Not until later. I have to meet my mother at my grandparents at 7:00 but until then I am all yours."  
  
Tristan grinned. "I have to put up with you for that long Mary?"  
  
"I think it would be more accurate for you to say, 'You are gracing me with your presence that long RORY?'" Rory pointedly said her real name.  
  
"You say tomato, I say tamatoe." Tristan replied.  
  
"So…" Rory began, searching for a topic. "I have to tell you how much I am loving these pajamas." Rory traced the pattern with her finger.  
  
"Shut up." Tristan replied immediately.  
  
"No really Tristan. I think airplanes are definitely you." Rory giggled as Tristan pelted her with his pillow, causing her to roll to her side.  
  
"They were a gift from my aunt." He said in defense after replacing his pillow. "Besides," he stated, waggling his eyebrows, "hospital regulations didn't permit me to wear what I normally wear to bed."  
  
Rory struggled to sit up straight, using his leg as a crutch. "I don't even want to know."  
  
"Sure you do." Tristan winked at her.  
  
"Do you want me to leave? Because I will," Rory threatened.  
  
"No, Rory. I'll behave I promise. Stay."  
  
"Fine," she relented, "but no more talk like that."  
  
"I promise."  
  
Rory sighed and looked down at their intertwined hands. "Something's missing."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Your hand. Something is missing."  
  
Tristan replied sarcastically. "That would be my nail on my index finger. They say it will grow back, but if it doesn't I have the name of a great plastic surgeon."  
  
"No," Rory said, bumping her knee against his leg. "That's not what it is." She traced his middle finger. "It's your ring."  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"It's your ring. Don't you normally wear a silver ring on your finger?" Rory looked up to look into his eyes.  
  
Tristan looked at her with surprise. "Yeah. My grandfather gave it to me. I can't believe that you noticed it."  
  
Rory shrugged, "Where is it now?"  
  
"They had to cut it off of my finger. I don't know what they did with it," Tristan stated.  
  
Rory watch as he scrunched his eyebrows together. He seemed to be in deep thought about something. "Was it special?"  
  
Tristan nodded. "Yeah it was. It was one of my grandmother's. Of course, she wore it on a necklace because it was too big to fit on her finger. She had the smallest hands," he held up their hands, "Tinier than yours even. It had been her brother's wedding ring, but when he and his wife died in an accident she got it. My grandfather gave it to just after she died." Rory was surprised at the tone Tristan used when talking about his grandmother. It was obvious that he cared about her.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Nah, don't be. I loved my grandmother very much, but she was in a lot of pain before she died. It was her time to go. I miss her though." Tristan looked over to Rory. She was staring at him. "What are you thinking?"  
  
Rory was caught off guard, drawn out of her thoughts. "You are a good person Tristan," she said seriously.  
  
Tristan grinned and brushed his knuckles against his pajama shirt. "So I've heard."  
  
"Why do I even bother to try to compliment you?"  
  
"Because you love me," he teased.  
  
"In your dreams Tristan."  
  
"I do believe that we have already covered what I dream about."  
  
"Yes, let's not get into again." The two carried on their banter until Rory looked up at the clock and saw it was time to leave. "I have to go."  
  
"Will you come again?"  
  
"I don't know. My mother is getting pretty jealous about all the time that I am spending here." She pretended to think about it. "I suppose so." Jumping off the bed she began to head for the door.  
  
"Wait!" Tristan stopped her.  
  
"What?"  
  
Tristan tapped his cheek. "You forgot my goodbye kiss."  
  
Rory rolled her eyes, but walked towards him. "Your hopeless," she said, leaning down to peck his cheek. Tristan grinned when she stood up. "I'll see you later Tristan."  
  
"Bye Rory." 


	6. Movie Night at Hartford Medical

Authors Note: I just wanted to let you guys know how much I LOVE it when you review! Please keep it up! Thanks.  
  
***  
  
"Yeah?" Lorelai answered the phone. She had just gotten home from work and was trying to take her high heels off while juggling the phone and her travel coffee mug fresh with Luke's coffee.  
  
"Um, hi." The voice on the other end began nervously. "This is Tristan Dugrey ma'am. Could I please speak to Rory?"  
  
"Oh hi Tristan." Lorelai threw her heels up the stairs in the general direction of her room, then began to make her way to Rory's room. "How are you doing?"  
  
"I'm doing well ma'am. And yourself?"  
  
Lorelai lightly tapped on her daughter's door. "Oh, I'm doing just fine Tristan. One thing though."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"This is Lorelai Gilmore, Rory's mother. Not her grandmother. Please do not address me as ma'am. It makes me feel very old, and I don't like to feel old." When Rory did not answer her door, Lorelai opened it quietly and looked inside. She wasn't there. "You can call me Lorelai. Everyone does and trust me, it's much safer."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Just a minute Tristan. Rory's not in her room." Lorelai put her hand over the phone and yelled "RORY!" When there was no reply Lorelai picked up the phone again. "Tristan sweetie, Rory isn't  
  
home. Would you like me to tell her to call you?"  
  
"No, that's okay. I don't think that she has this number, and I don't remember what it is, so I will just call her back later if that's okay."  
  
Lorelai walked over to the refrigerator and glared at the contents inside. "Not a problem. Hey Tristan?"  
  
"Yes Lorelai?" Lorelai could almost hear the smirk that she had been told so much about.  
  
"My daughter tells me that you are getting out of there soon." She pulled out a box of Chinese take out. Sniffing it, she made a gagging sound and tossed it into the trashcan.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah… I'm fine. I just got a bad whiff of some old Chinese food. It's a common hazard around this house."  
  
"Oh, okay. I am going home in a week."  
  
"That's great. I'm sure that you are ready to get out of that place." Lorelai pulled out a carton of yogurt and checked the expiration date. Deciding that it was safe she opened the utensil drawer and shuffled the contents around to find a spoon.  
  
"Yes I am."  
  
"Well… I will tell Rory that you called. Take care of yourself kid."  
  
"Okay Lorelai. Goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye." Lorelai clicked the phone off. Grabbing her spoon and yogurt carton she sat down at the table. Hearing the front door slam shut she called out, "Hi Sweetie!"  
  
Rory came into the kitchen toting a bag from Luke's. "Mom don't eat that!" she exclaimed when she saw her mother about to take a bite.  
  
Lorelai quickly dropped the spoon from her mouth. "What? I checked the expiration date. I still have 8 days!"  
  
Rory went over and picked up the carton. "This is a science experiment Mom. See those orange fuzzy things in there?"  
  
Lorelai looked into the container. "Those peaches?"  
  
"Those aren't peaches Mom. That's cultured fungus. I am suppose to be letting it grow." Rory recapped the contained and set it back in the refrigerator.  
  
"You are growing fungus in our refrigerator!?!"  
  
Rory rolled her eyes. "Mother, it is perfectly safe. I have it capped and it is in the back of the fridge. Besides," she added, "half the stuff in there is growing fungus!"  
  
"Yeah, I guess that you are right. You went by Luke's?" Lorelai began looking through the bag that Rory had set on the table.  
  
"Yeah," said Rory, pulling out two plates from the cabinet. "I came home and there was nothing to eat so I decided to make a trip down there." She placed a burger on each plate and a side of fries.  
  
Lorelai took a bite of her burger, "You're such a good daughter," she gushed.  
  
Rory sat to join her mother. "I do try."  
  
"Tristan called right before you got home. He said that he would try again later." Lorelai watched for her daughter's reaction.  
  
"Oh?" Rory hopped up from her chair to get the ketchup out of the refrigerator. "I wonder what he wants?"  
  
"I don't know. He didn't say." Lorelai eyed her daughter.  
  
Rory looked around self-consciously. "What?" She asked, "Did I get something on my face?"  
  
"No," Lorelai assured her.  
  
"Then why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
Lorelai shrugged her shoulders innocently. "You and he seem to be spending a lot of time together."  
  
Rory didn't try and deny it. She had been over to see him several times. So often, in fact, that she had ended up staying up very late several nights to finish her homework. "Yeah… we have." Rory noticed the gleam in her mother's eyes. "We are just friends Mom."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"We are!" Stated Rory adamantly.  
  
"I never said anything." Lorelai took another bite of her burger. "He's a very nice boy."  
  
Rory nodded her agreement. "He can be. Other times he can be completely obnoxious and rude. But he is getting better," Rory hoped that her mother would drop the subject.  
  
Lorelai sat quietly. "Okay."  
  
"We are just friends!"  
  
"I understand Rory. I believe you."  
  
"Good."  
  
Mother and daughter sat in silence while finishing off their dinner. When they got up to clean off their plates Lorelai asked, "So, what do you have planned for tonight?"  
  
"The usual. Hours and hours of homework."  
  
Lorelai looked at her daughter sympathetically. "Aww… sweetie. If you need anything I'll be in the living room." Lorelai walked to the living room and Rory headed towards her room.  
  
"Hey Rory!" Lorelai shouted.  
  
Rory poked her head out the door, "Yeah?"  
  
"'Survivor' 8 o'clock. Don't forget!"  
  
"Okay Mom." Rory closed her door and heaved her book bag up onto her desk. Pulling out the books she would need for that night, Rory settled down to work.  
  
Later that evening the phone ringing interrupted Rory. "Hello?"  
  
"Hi. This is Tristan. May I speak to Rory please?"  
  
"This is Rory." She closed up the book that she was reading from in order to focus on the conversation. "How did you get my number Tristan?"  
  
"I have my ways."  
  
"I don't know if I should be flattered or terrified." Rory leaned back in her chair so she was propped up on the back legs.  
  
"Oh be afraid. Be very afraid."  
  
"It didn't involve the removal of someone's head did it?"  
  
"No, it didn't. Listen, I was thinking," Rory bit back a smart remark, "what are you doing on Friday?"  
  
"I am having dinner with my grandparents, and then I will probably come back home and do some homework. Why?" Rory began tapping the pencil that was in her hand on the desk.  
  
"I was thinking that you might want to come over here for a movie night. I got my parents to bring over a VCR to attach to the TV."  
  
"Movie night?"  
  
"Yeah. It could be kind of a celebration. We could call it the 'Tristan's getting out of prison in 5 days' movie night."  
  
"Movie night?"  
  
"Didn't you ask that already? Yes. A night where we would watch movies and eat lots and lots of junk food. I gotta tell you, that's the most appealing part. I haven't had anything but over cooked broccoli and steamed carrots for a little over two weeks now. You were talking about it the other day and I just thought that it would be fun. Come on Rory, I am so bored."  
  
Rory considered for a moment. "I have to be at my grandparents at 7:00, but I could probably be there by 8:30."  
  
"That would be great."  
  
A thought dawned on Rory. "Wait a minute Tristan, what about visiting hours? They won't let me be there that late."  
  
"Rory, my grandfather was one of the founders of this hospital. I am sure that I can pull a few strings. It won't be a problem."  
  
Rory leaned back a little too far in her chair and she toppled to the ground with a groan.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
Straightening up, then moving to sit on her nice stable bed, Rory answered, "Yeah. I just… fell over."  
  
"You fell over? Are you having problems walking Rory?"  
  
"No I am not having problems walking Tristan," she mimicked into the phone. "I will have to check with my mother, but I am sure that that will be fine."  
  
"Great!" Rory smiled at his enthusiasm, then his voice got serious. "I am trusting you with the movie selection."  
  
Rory replied, just as seriously, "I accept the challenge."  
  
"I have never trusted anyone with the movie selection before. I always pick the movie. This is a very difficult thing for me Rory. It is making me relinquish control."  
  
"I understand. I will do my very best."  
  
"Okay. Hey Rory?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Under no circumstances will you be permitted to enter my room with a chick flick."  
  
"Yes sir." She saluted, but then realized how dumb it was because no one was in the room for her to salute to, and Tristan couldn't see her over the phone.  
  
"This is not a laughing matter. This is serious Rory."  
  
Rory just rolled her eyes. "You sound like my mother."  
  
"I will take that as a compliment."  
  
"Oh, in some things you definitely should. But in this particular case I was referring to the inclination that you both seem to have to become slightly neurotic at times."  
  
"I am not neurotic. I am concerned. There is a difference."  
  
Rory rolled her eyes again. "Whatever you say, Tristan."  
  
"Practice that line. I want you to become very comfortable with saying it."  
  
"I am not even going to try to figure out what kind of lewd sexual innuendo you were referring to by that." Rory paused. "So, I will be over there about 8:30 on Friday night bearing movies and junk food. Is that alright with you?"  
  
"Yeah, that's sounds great. Listen, I have to go now. I hear the metallic clanging that makes its way down the hall as a sign of my impending doom and despair."  
  
Rory grinned. "Is Nurse Gertrude coming?"  
  
"The one and only."  
  
"Have fun. Hey Tristan?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Remember, it hurts much more when you move so try to stay calm," Rory teased.  
  
"Thanks for the tip."  
  
"You're welcome. I will see you on Friday then." Rory began to hang up the phone but stopped when she heard his voice.  
  
"Rory?"  
  
"Yes Tristan?"  
  
"Remember, absolutely no chick flicks."  
  
"Goodbye Tristan," she said with mock exasperation. When she hung up the phone her mother shouted from the living room.  
  
"RORY! It's 8:02! You're going to miss it!" Rory popped up from her bed and ran to join her mother on the couch.  
  
***  
  
Thursday and Friday passed quickly. School was fine, Paris was on Valium and the dinner with her grandparents was… stale. Better than hostile, Rory reminded herself. Lorelai dropped Rory off at the hospital and, after handing her the cell phone and some money to take a cab home, told her to have a good time. "Be home no later than 1 AM."  
  
Rory smiled, then leaned over to give her mother a quick hug. "Thanks Mom." She reached in the back of the Jeep to grab a bag of stuff then hopped out of the Jeep.  
  
When she reached Tristan's room she found him lying in bed on his stomach. "Hey."  
  
Tristan eyes flew up to meet hers. "They don't want me to get bed sores on my ass," he said as a way of explanation.  
  
"And this is where we reach the point of way way more information than I wanted to know," Rory declared.  
  
Tristan blushed slightly. "I was just trying to explain."  
  
Rory held up a hand in innocence. "I wasn't asking."  
  
"They said that they would flip me over when you got here."  
  
"That's great." She held up the bag that she way carrying. "While you do your little flippy thing I am going to change in the bathroom."  
  
Tristan looked at her to fully take in her attire. She was wearing a short black skirt and a pretty blue sweater. "You look very nice."  
  
"Yeah, well, I have to dress up for family dinners. It's a requirement. But comfort," Rory said, moving towards the bathroom, "is a requirement for movie night so if you will excuse me…" she ducked into the restroom and closed the door behind her.  
  
While she was pulling her tights off she heard the shrill sound of Tristan's whistle and the patter of feet that followed. Rolling her eyes, she continued to undress. After pulling on a pair of thick socks, windbreaker pants and a Harvard sweatshirt, Rory emerged to find Tristan sitting up right in the bed.  
  
"So what did you bring?" He asked as she deposited her bag of cloths on a chair.  
  
Pulling another chair closer to his bed she replied, "'Emma' and 'Sense and Sensibility'."  
  
"Get out," was the immediate response.  
  
Rory looked at him in disbelief. "What?"  
  
"Remember my stern warning? You would not be permitted in my room with chick flicks." Tristan pointed towards the door.  
  
"These," Rory held up the two movies. "Are not chick flicks. They are classics. At least, they were taken from classics. There is a big difference."  
  
"Not in this room."  
  
Rory smiled sweetly, "Tristan. Open yourself up to a little culture."  
  
"Culture?"  
  
Rory nodded her head. "Yes."  
  
"I don't want culture. I want explosives, guns, and women wearing skimpy clothing. Not," he said, pointing to the cases of the movies, "women wearing petticoats."  
  
"You are such a guy," Rory said, narrowing her eyes.  
  
"If you are just now figuring that out then it is obvious I have done something very wrong."  
  
"You know what I mean! Come on Tristan…" she pouted, "these are my favorites. Please?"  
  
Looking at her sad puppy dog eyes Tristan relented. "Fine. But when I get out of here I get to pick the movie."  
  
Rory grinned in victory. "Deal."  
  
"I'm talking blood, gore, nudity… payback's a bitch Mary."  
  
"Well," Rory responded, standing up to put the movie it. "I put up with you so it really shouldn't be that big of a deal."  
  
"Just put the movie in before I change my mind." Rory did as he requested then returned to her seat. She propped her feet up on the end of his bed.  
  
When the opening credits started Tristan looked sharply at Rory. "This isn't Emma."  
  
"Really?" Rory feigned surprise.  
  
Tristan looked back and forth between her and the TV screen. "I thought that you said we were watching Emma."  
  
Rory turned to face him. "I was just teasing you, Tristan. I thought that you would like this better. It seemed to be one of those shoot 'em up bang bang, good cop bad cop movies."  
  
"Oh. What is it?"  
  
"'Training Day'. Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke… The guy at the movie store recommended it."  
  
Tristan sat in silence for a moment before saying, "Thank you."  
  
Rory continued to stare at the screen. "Don't thank me yet. I am making you watch Emma afterwards."  
  
Tristan grinned. "Fine." They sat quietly for a moment, watching the movie. Tristan nudged Rory's shoulder. "Hey… why don't you grab some of that junk food you brought and join me up here." He scooted over and patted the spot next to him.  
  
Rory looked at him skeptically. "I'm not going to bite. You can't be comfortable on that hard plastic chair," he reasoned.  
  
Rory debated the move for a moment before complying. She reached over to grab a bag of pre-popped popcorn, then sat down next to him on the bed. She put the bag in between them.  
  
The two sat and watched the movie in silence. About halfway through Rory rearranged herself so she was leaning against Tristan's shoulder. Tristan looked at her in surprise, but didn't object to the affectionate movement. Several times throughout the movie she hid her face behind his arm block out the scene in front of her.  
  
"That was the most depraved thing that I have ever seen," Rory proclaimed as the movie ended.  
  
Tristan grinned down at her, "Wasn't it great?"  
  
"I think that you should be forced to watch two of my movies in return."  
  
"It wasn't that bad Rory. It was good," Tristan tried to convince her, but she would hear none of it.  
  
Rory flicked her hand then stood up to put her movie in. Pressing play, she returned to sit beside him. "I can't believe that I am watching this," Tristan said.  
  
"I just watched 2 hours of depravity. Force yourself."  
  
"At least my movie had a plot," Tristan accused.  
  
"If you are implying that Jane Austen's novels are devoid of plot then you are seriously cracked. Shut up. I didn't talk during your movie, so stop talking during mine."  
  
Tristan just grinned down at her. Rory sighed, then rested her head on his shoulder. "What am I going to do with you?" She mumbled. Before he could reply she held up a hand, "I don't want to know."  
  
When the movie was over Tristan nudged Rory. "You okay?"  
  
Rory nodded, "It's just so sweet. Didn't you think it was sweet?"  
  
"Um…" Rory shot him a look. "Yes, Rory, it was very sweet."  
  
Rory stood up and stretch. "I should probably be getting home. It's late." She gathered the empty bags of chips and popcorn off the bed. Tristan handed her his empty soda cans.  
  
While she crossed the room to throw the stuff away her asked, "How are you getting home? Do you have your Jeep?"  
  
Rory shook her head. "No, I am taking a taxi."  
  
"But it's so late! You shouldn't go home by yourself this late. It's dangerous."  
  
"Tristan, I'll be fine."  
  
Tristan looked at her critically, trying to decide whether he should let her go or not. "I don't like it."  
  
"Sorry buster, but that's the way that it's got to be." Rory began to gather her things to leave. She walked over to him, placing her hand over his. "I'll be fine Tristan."  
  
"Okay. But you have to call me when you get home. If I don't hear from you in 30 minutes I am going to call the police. In fact, why don't you call me when you are in the cab and let me talk to the cab guy? Where is that number?" He began searching through the drawer in the nightstand. Finding it he held it out to her. "Take it."  
  
Rory rolled her eyes, but took the slip of paper. "I will call you when I get home." She leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Stop worrying so much about me. I'll be fine."  
  
"Alright. Goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye Tristan." Rory left his room. When she was halfway down the hallway she heard his voice.  
  
"Don't forget to call me!"  
  
Tristan laid down in the bed and pulled the covers over him, but only after Rory called to inform him that she was home safely did he drift into a peaceful sleep. 


	7. Homecoming

Authors Note: I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get this out! From now on I am going to try to get at least one up a week. Oh, and thanks to my sister for encouraging me to finish this story. This next chapter is kind of wordy, but I hope that you like it! Please review. Thanks!  
  
Homecoming  
  
Rory unconsciously tapped her foot against the chair in front of her. When the person occupying the desk turned around to glare at her, she glanced around before finally realizing what he was referring to. She stopped the motion with an apologetic smile to the offended.  
  
The class seemed to drag on and on. It was the last period of the day, on Wednesday. The day that Tristan was getting to go home. She had worked it out earlier with her mother to take the Jeep to school so that as soon as the day was over she could head straight to the Dugrey mansion. Without realizing what she was doing, Rory had begun to tap her blue pen against her notebook. It was only when Paris reached across the aisle and put her hand on top of Rory's to cease her movement that Rory noticed what she had been doing. Another apologetic smile, this one rejected with a harsh glare. Rory resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Paris, who was still upset with Rory because she found out Rory visited Tristan in the hospital. Rory tried again to focus on the lecture at hand, but for some reason the themes of money and power represented in the Great Gatsby weren't really holding her attention. She had already studied the Great Gatsby, in depth, so she didn't feel to guilty when she let her thoughts drift to the previous Monday, the last time that she had seen Tristan.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I think that every Wednesday should become a national holiday."  
  
Rory smiled patiently at the blonde boy in front of her. "Every Wednesday?" When he nodded his head she added, "Don't you think that's a little much?"  
  
Tristan shook his head, unfazed. "You're asking me if I think that getting out of this sterile hell hole does not deserve 52 celebrations at regular intervals throughout the years?"  
  
"Lot's of people get out of the hospital everyday, Tristan. It's not special just because it's you."  
  
"I am special, " Tristan insisted. Rory just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Those people can celebrate it on my day too. What do you think?"  
  
Rory pretended to consider his question for a moment. "I think," she said, standing up from her position at the end of his bed, leaning against the foot board, "that for the sake of your sanity you need to get out of here as soon as possible."  
  
"I could not agree more," he said, watching her gathering her stuff to leave. When she turned back around to him admitted, "although I can't decide whether or not to be offended by the sanity crack. I'm a completely stable person."  
  
Rory just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Think about it for a while. It'll keep you occupied until Wednesday." She leaned down to give him the customary kiss on the cheek goodbye but at the last moment he turned his head so her lips came in contact with his. Rory remained still for a moment, not knowing what to do. When she felt his lips begin to move over hers she quickly pulled back, touching her fingers to her lips. Tristan looked terrified. "Rory." he started, quietly, but she just smiled. With her fingers still on her lips she backed to the door, "I'll see you Wednesday," she stated quietly before exiting to room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was completely unexpected. The kiss. Rory had thought about little else since she left his room that day. True, it wasn't a real kiss. He kissed, she just kind of stood there. "Oh God," she thought. What he must think of her. She didn't even know what to think of her. They were just getting to be friends, she and Tristan. She was finally seeing him without his crown on, so to speak.  
  
She was finally getting comfortable around him, and he seemed to be comfortable around her. When the bandages had come off she was afraid that he would either be so depressed or so embarrassed that he wouldn't want her around anymore. The first few days were hard. Whenever she came to see him he stayed completely covered under his blankets. Slowly though, he began to trust her when she said that it didn't matter to her. And it didn't. It really didn't. To her, the person that always sat on the hospital in front of her was not the new injured Tristan; he was just the new Tristan. She liked the new Tristan. Maybe he had been like that before, but she never got to see it. For some reason, she doubted many people had gotten to see it.  
  
But the kiss. His lips on hers. It was good, she couldn't deny that. Sure, he had kissed her before, but she was so upset about Dean that she hadn't really considered whether she liked it or not. Of course, Tristan had probably kissed lots of girls. He knew how to kiss. She remembered the ways that the girls would throw themselves on him, and the way that he seemed more than willing to catch. He knew how to play the game. She did not want to be one of those girls, the kind that threw themselves at him. He didn't seem to be playing a game with her, but she had thought that before. The one thought that plagued her mind though, as she pulled up to his house following the directions he had carefully scrawled for her, was if she could trust herself not to become one of those girls. She stepped out of the Jeep, locking it behind her, and looked at his mansion. It was huge, much larger than her grandparents. The ivy covered stone and brick walkways made it look more like a castle than a home. Hesitantly she walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. A man in a tuxedo opened to door. "Hello," he said, without the smallest trace of a smile. If Rory hadn't been completely intimidated she would have groaned at how stereotypical it was. A British accent even.  
  
She cleared her throat. "Hi. My name is Rory." she paused for a moment. "Rory Gilmore. I am here to see Tristan." At the snooty look from the butler she added meekly, "I think that he is expecting me."  
  
The butler gave Rory a once over. "Master Dugrey has just returned from the hospital, I don't think he is open to visitors."  
  
From the condescending look that he gave her, Rory wished she could just melt right there. There she stood, on the steps that literally dozens of girls had come through, asking to see Tristan. Trying to keep herself under control, Rory nodded her head, "I understand. But I think that he is expecting me. Would it be okay if I come in? If he wants me to leave then I will."  
  
The butler let her into the foyer. Rory glanced around and realized that her entire house could probably fit in that one room alone. "Wait here miss. I will go and tell Master Dugrey that you wish to see him."  
  
While the butler headed up the winding staircase at the end of the hall, Rory let out the sigh that she had been holding. Maybe she had been wrong about this. Trying to calm herself, she looked around the house from the point where she was standing. Rich reds and deep blue flowed from the room to her left. The chandelier that hung from above lit the foyer with a soft glow, adding a speck of gold everywhere she looked. Before she could continue her investigation the butler came to lead her to Tristan's room.  
  
When she entered his room, she was greeted with a smile from Tristan, who was resting on his bed. "Hey Mary." his voice was groggy. "Come here," he patted a spot next to him on the bed. She was surprised that he didn't seem the least bit awkward around her. She decided to play along, as if nothing had happened.  
  
Hesitantly, Rory made her way over to him. She took in the surrounding room as she walked tentatively. The room was much bigger than her room, that was obvious, but it was cozy. One thing that did catch Rory's eye was the book resting on his end table. She picked it up before settling beside Tristan, sitting cross-legged beside him on the king-size bed. "Sense and Sensibility?"  
  
"Well." he started, "I thought I'd try to find out what you find so amazing about that Jane Austen chick."  
  
The grogginess of Tristan's voice concerned Rory. Before she chewed him out for referring to Jane Austen as a "chick" she asked, "Are you okay?" Her hand flew up to his forehead, and he chuckled at her.  
  
"They just gave me some medicine before I came home today. Something about not wanting the trip to undo the progress that I've made so far. It just made me a little tired, that's all."  
  
Rory looked at him quizzically, "You're hot."  
  
"I'm fine, Rory," he said before smirking, "and I know."  
  
Rory's eyebrow bunched in confusion. "You know what."  
  
Tristan yawned before answering, "That I'm hot." Rory groaned, and hit him upside the head with one of the pillows on his bed.  
  
"Owww." He moaned, rubbing his head.  
  
Rory's eyes got wide as she realized what she had done. "Oh Tristan, I'm so sorry."  
  
She looked so pathetic that Tristan just grinned, "I'm just kidding," even though he was fighting back tears. Not only was he tired, but the medicine had given him a headache worse than the worst hangover he had ever had. It was suppose to knock him out, but he had refused to go to sleep until she got there.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered again. Before Tristan could respond she bounded off the bed and reached for her backpack. Pulling something out, she went back over to sit beside Tristan. "I brought you something," she said, opening the box. Inside was a silver ring, very similar to the one Tristan once had.  
  
"I checked everywhere and with everyone at the hospital, but no one knew where your ring had gone. I even had one of the nurses check with the fire and paramedic squad that had brought you in, but no one knew." Not looking down at him, but at the ring, Rory continued. "I know this doesn't hold the same memories as the other one does, and it won't be as special, but I thought." she made the mistake of looking over at Tristan. She could have sworn that his eyes were misty before he quickly turned away. Thinking that she might have done something wrong she said, "I don't know, I tried to think of what to get you for a homecoming gift and this was what I thought off."  
  
Tristan was indeed fighting off the tears, and this time not from the pain in his head, although Lord knows that he would blame it on the medicine if she saw him. "Thank you." He whispered. "It means a lot to me." It was one of the sweetest presents anyone had ever given him. To him it meant so much more than the memories of years past.  
  
Rory looked down at him and smiled, wiping one of the tears out of his eyes. "I didn't mean to make you cry."  
  
Tristan tried to regain some dignity by rolling his eyes and declaring, "Damn medicine."  
  
Rory just continued to smile down at him. Soon he found himself starring at her. The kiss at the hospital had not been planned, he just acted. That's what he did, he acted. Before his actions had always been welcomed. Now, he wasn't sure. She had never given any indication that she was remotely interested in him. Still, she had been to visit him at the hospital almost everyday. No one, not even his parents, had done that. He didn't get to finish the thought when he heard Rory say, "Tristan." Embarrassed to be caught in his reverie, Tristan cleared his throat and held out his hand. "Well." he stated with mock impatience. At Rory's questioning glance he pointed at the ring, and then at his ring finger, "Aren't you going to do the honors?"  
  
Rory grinned and slid the ring on to his finger, then looked at it. "That doesn't look right." Thinking for a moment, she removed it and then slid it on to his middle finger. "Much better," she concluded.  
  
"Thank you," Tristan said, stifling a yawn. "Really."  
  
"Your welcome." Rory glanced around his room. "So," she asked, "how does it feel to be home?"  
  
Tristan shrugged his shoulders, "Not all that much different than being at the hospital. Just now I'm in my own room. It's nice."  
  
"Where are your parents?" Rory asked. Not once had she met them, even through out all of her visits to their son.  
  
"They brought me home from the hospital. My Dad had to go into the office right afterwards and my mother had postponed her flight to Florida with her DAR friends. She left earlier this afternoon." Tristan didn't seem phased by the fact that his parents weren't around to help him out.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Why? I'm not. I'm glad that they were able to take me home."  
  
"But they aren't here now," she pointed out. "You were in a car accident for God sakes. You almost died." "They're not like your mother Rory," Tristan immediately became defensive, "They do the best that they can."  
  
Rory was surprised that Tristan was defending them. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that they weren't, I just thought you might be upset that they weren't here."  
  
Tristan sighed, then stated, "I don't have the best relationship with my parents. Before this," he gestured to the bandages on his body, "things were bad. Really bad." Rory just sat back against the bed, listening to him. "I was leaving the party that night because they were yelling at me in front of all of their friends, parents of my friends. I couldn't take it anymore, so I hopped into my car."  
  
"What were they yelling about?" Rory interrupted.  
  
"They had gotten a phone call from Headmaster Charleston that a few guys and I had set the fire alarm that day in assembly. It wasn't true, it wasn't me. I did that kind of stuff in 3rd grade, not 11th. Anyway, I didn't want to listen to them anymore, so I got into my car. I was almost home when," he hesitated a moment, his breath caught in his throat, "when I was hit." Rory laced her fingers through his. "I'm sorry. you probably have better things to do with your time than this."  
  
Rory shook her head, "If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."  
  
Tristan just nodded and kept with his story, "At first I didn't think that it was that bad. The car was flipped over, but I thought I could get the door open. I almost did, but then the engine went up into flames." Tristan's hand squeezed Rory's. "And that was the first time I realized that the air bags had opened. They squeezing me." Tristan clenched his jaw, and Rory started to stop him, but he held up his hand. "Let me finish. Please."  
  
"You don't have to. if it's too painful, then don't feel like you have to."  
  
"I want to talk about it, no one will say anything about it." All of a sudden he felt the need to tell her everything, everything that he had been through that night. "I couldn't breathe. I think I twisted in my seat, and that's when I felt the pain in my leg. It was incredible. The fire," he paused, "the fire was getting closer, and I was trapped in there. I was terrified that the gas tank was going to explode and I was going to die. I was terrified of dying. It was the first time in my life that I thought it was going to be over. The smoke. was choking me so badly that I couldn't breath. I think that I must have blacked out then, because I don't remember being burned." Tristan looked down at his hands, the burn scars still visible. "When I woke up there was this nurse cutting all of my clothes off in the emergency room. I couldn't move, because my neck had a brace on it, but all the noise and the sounds and the smell. I think that I blacked out again. The next thing I remember was waking up in my hospital bed, and my parents looking down at me." Tristan looked up to Rory, "No matter what happened that night, the thing that I will remember the most is that my parents were there."  
  
"Why wouldn't they have been?"  
  
"I didn't expect them to be. Since then, things have gotten a little better. They came to visit me in the hospital as much as they could. It was nice, almost like a real family."  
  
Rory hadn't realized that she was staring at Tristan, but when he turned to catch her gaze she immediately blinked away. Looking intently at a spot on the navy bedspread she said, "I'm happy for you then."  
  
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that everything is just as peachy as it could be, they're still not my favorite people in the world, but," he swallowed. "Things are better."  
  
Rory turned to look down at Tristan. Sometime while he was talking she reached down to take his hand. They stared at each other for a moment, neither speaking. Tristan raised his eyebrows at her, and she blushed, "What?"  
  
"You tell me."  
  
Rory shrugged, "You're so much different than I thought you were. Hearing you say stuff like that. I don't know. It makes you seem human."  
  
"As opposed to what." he huffed, "a cow? A donkey?"  
  
"You know not what I meant. Although there were times I thought you were the biggest ass that I had ever met."  
  
"No," he winked slyly, "you thought I had the nicest ass you had ever met."  
  
Rory rolled her eyes, but she was giggling slightly when she did. Tristan looked up at her and murmured, "I'm sorry."  
  
Rory shifted uncomfortably, diverting her eyes from the ones starring up at her. "About what?"  
  
Tristan tugged her hand until she turned to look at him. "That I kissed you. I'm sorry."  
  
All conscious thought left Rory's head. "You are?"  
  
This time Tristan turned from Rory, pulling his hand from hers. "Yeah." His tone was one Rory had never heard before. He sounded embarrassed, defeated. He head turned on his side, facing away from Rory.  
  
Rory sighed heavily, then got off the bed and went around to the other side. She knelt to the ground, coming into eye contact with him. Blue eyes starring into blue eyes, she whispered, "I'm not." 


End file.
